


A Beautiful Experiment

by TimeSorceror



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II, The Sims (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Sex, Clothed Sex, Double Impregnation, Fluff and Smut, Light Dom/sub, M/M, Mpreg, Oral Sex, Pregnancy Kink, Pregnant Sex, Shower Sex, Sims AU (sort of)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-21
Updated: 2018-07-08
Packaged: 2019-01-20 14:51:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 56,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12435108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TimeSorceror/pseuds/TimeSorceror
Summary: A new clinical trial is being rolled out at Kirkwall General that is going to help pave the way for same sex couples to start their own families without the need for surrogates or adoption. Hospital employees and their partners are encouraged to participate and Anders, one of the clinic doctors running the trials, brings up this news to his husband Fenris one evening over dinner.





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> So, this story is a very self-indulgent thing based on another very self-indulgent thing involving my Sim Anders and Sim Fenris, and the male impregnation mod. So I got the two married, had them have sex with each other, and waited to see if one would get pregnant. Well... Anders did. Then Fenris did. 
> 
> It was about as hilarious as you would expect. So again, this fic is very much based on my personal Sim world and the events that occured therin, so I'm not going to go into detail about any of the whos, whats, whys, or Howes about the logistics of the whole situation. Just sit back and enjoy the show. I promise you, it's going to be a fantastically twisted ride full of fluff, smut, and of course, Fenders babies.
> 
> Hold onto your butts everyone. ;)

Anders’ eyes flick across the computer screen as his fingers loudly hunt and peck across the keyboard, clicks and clacks clattering down and sliding out from underneath the door of his hospital office. Beside him sits the last stack of data from today’s clinic patients that needs finishing before he can go home. Anders sighed softly as he pulled the top sheet off and filed it away, beginning on the next one.

Normally his assistant Lirene would be taking care of it, but he’d sent her home early so that she could tell her partner the good news.

Outside his door he can hear the quick sound of tiny feet slapping the linoleum floors as they began to approach and stop just on the other side. A rapid knock sounded against the wood that was followed by a cheerful chirp of, “Dr. Skovsgaard! Anders! Hey, can I come in?” Ah, of course it would be Merrill.

“Door’s open!” he shouted, not bothering to look over as his fingers still clacked away. The door opened and he finally glanced over when a short elven woman strode in, or rather scampered in, all while chattering excitedly in her usual overly bubbly manner.

“Have you heard, Anders? The enhanced synthesized fertility treatment program for same sex couples that my chemistry lab developed last year has been approved for clinical trials! This is wonderful, isn’t it? Oh, it’s just lovely. ‘Bela will be delighted to hear about it, or perhaps not… we’ve never discussed children you know, actually...”

Anders’ clacking finally ceased when he paused to look over at the chatty elf, blinking owlishly in the harsh fluorescent light that spilled into his relatively darkened office from the hallway.

“Oh, I’ve heard,” he confirmed in a soft, even tone of voice. “My clinic is one of the ones that’s been chosen to head up the trials, actually. My assistant, Lirene, was quite excited about it when she heard.”

“Is that why you’re here and not at home? You told your assistant to leave early didn’t you, you silly man?” Merrill tsked and shook her head at him. “You should be at home, telling your husband the good news too! Say, are you going to participate in the trial? The board is relaxing the rules about this one since some of the staff are likely to want to give having children with their own partners a try… I certainly want to! I mean, I’d have to check with ‘Bela of course…”

Anders leaned back in his chair, feeling the old joints creak as he shifted his weight to stare contemplatively at a cat poster on the wall behind his desk.

“You know, I’m not sure,” he answered honestly, folding his arms across his chest. “I don’t even know if Fenris wants kids myself, actually.”

Tiny hands grasped the lapels of his shirt and dragged him up and out of his chair, sending him stumbling halfway across his own office before he could blink. When he turned around, he was half amazed, half shocked to see the pixie-haired elf sitting in his chair and rearranging his remaining paperwork with a wide grin on her face.

“So go home and ask him then!” she chirped, chiding him gently.

He took another step forward in an attempt to pull the chair back away from the desk but she tilted her head at him and her reflective elven eyes caught the light of the hallway, making them flash almost in warning. They still twinkled brightly in her mirth, but her words carried a steely resolve behind them that brokered no argument.

“I won’t take no for an answer! I know your system and how you like to file things and I promise I’ll lock up when I’m done. You just run along now to talk to that husband of yours. Go on, then. Go! Shoo, away with you.”

Finally, Anders just sighed and shook his head.

“Alright, fine. But if the chief of medicine gets wind of this and chews me out for it, I’m blaming you,” he teased, partly serious.

“They haven’t found me out yet,” she drawled, shrugging. “Just go home, Anders. Have a lovely evening!” She flashed him another cheery smile and waved at him as she tried to send him off and shoo him out in the same motion.

Anders sighed again and bid her goodbye after gathering his things and closing the door behind him. Merrill could be really pushy when she wanted to be, and she was surprisingly strong for her size! Anders was thin, but he wasn’t stick thin given his height, so he had to be at least twice her weight and then some given how small _she_ was. He shook his head as he walked out of the hospital; perhaps she was right.

He should be at home, preparing dinner for himself and Fenris so that the elf would have a proper meal to eat before he threw himself back into his work again or became absorbed in whatever book he was devouring next. Fenris rarely ate anything nutritious that hadn’t already been prepared in advance.

The drive home was quiet and contemplative, his thoughts dwelling heavily on the clinical trials he would be overseeing in the coming months.

A thought struck him as he was pulling into their driveway, an image of himself while heavily pregnant and talking with the patients of the trial who might be equally as pregnant as he… Anders parked the car and shifted a little to adjust himself in his pants. It should be criminal for thoughts like that to be so arousing.

Anders chuffed, getting out and noting that Fenris’ car was still absent. Good, so perhaps he would be able to put something together after all. It would give him time to think of something to say about the trials at work too.

He was anxious to know Fenris’ thoughts the matter, though he was hopeful the elf would feel quite favorably about the idea. Anders set his things at his desk in their shared office space and eventually puttered into the kitchen to begin whipping up something for dinner.

‘Something simple,’ he thought to himself. ‘Chicken and pasta will do. Nothing fancy.’

Anders didn’t have the focus he needed for fancy tonight anyway. He was content to let his body move almost on autopilot as he handled the chicken and herbs and turned his words over and over again in his mind. It surprised him to know that he was more than open to the idea of signing up for the trial and that he actually, truly wanted it. He and Fenris had not been married for even a year yet, but Anders felt that a child would be a wonderful, natural addition to their lives nonetheless.

The garage door opened and shut sharply just as he was pulling the chicken for the pasta out of the oven, and all at once his carefully constructed speeches vanished from his mind. His mouth grew hot and dry as a nervous flush filled his cheeks; by the sound of things, Fenris was home.

“I’m in the kitchen darling!” he shouted out, hoping the elf would hear him from wherever he was in the house.

A distant grumble was his only reply, and that more than anything told him that it was indeed Fenris. Anders could hear padded footsteps shuffling about in the distance for some time until finally they started heading his way. Anders, now finished preparing dinner, shoved some silverware in one of his back pockets and picked up the two plates he’d set, balancing them on his fingers as he carried them out to the dining table.

He caught sight of Fenris as he turned the corner, and the elf’s face immediately broke into a smile as he did so. Anders couldn’t help but smile back; the sight of his husband still made his heart flutter the same way it had when they’d first met, though the memory of opening his door to the elven police investigator in only his sleeping shirt and underwear caused him to flush even more.

It had most definitely _not_ been one of his finest moments.

“Anders,” Fenris greeted him, lips shifting from grinning to scowling and not quite managing it entirely, “I thought I told you to stop doing that. What if I had been an intruder?” Anders merely leaned over and pressed a kiss in between the three white tattooed dots on his forehead.

“Then I would have grabbed one of the kitchen knives and defended my honor! Really though in all seriousness, you’re right. I should stop that, shouldn’t I?”

Anders set the plates and silverware down before going back into the kitchen and bringing back a bottle of wine and two glasses. “Can I butter you up with some wine first? I have some news about work that I want to talk to you about.” Fenris took the bottle and opened it with ease–not even needing a corkscrew to pop it open. “This is good news, I hope? I suppose it is, since you’re smiling.”

Fenris tilted his head, studying Anders intently. “Though you’re a bit tense. Are you worried about something?”

Anders decided to go with the truth and nodded as they sat down to eat.

“A little, yes. I do want to ask you a question first before I tell you about work; and yes, it is related. I uh…” Anders took a few deep breaths to steady himself before continuing. “You know, I don’t recall if we’ve ever discussed whether or not we wanted to have children, have we? Do you want them someday? Perhaps, uh… in the near future?”

Fenris chewed on some chicken for a bit before swallowing and nodding slowly.

“I think I wouldn’t mind. I mean, I know we haven’t been married all that long, but we dated for what, several years before we finally had a proper ceremony?” Anders nodded as Fenris took another bite of food and washed it down with a bit of wine.

“Do you want to adopt, then?” Fenris asked, “And how soon would we be talking, exactly? Children are quite the investment after all. They’re not like Ser Pounce.”

The aforementioned cat meowed from his place on top of the cat tree in one of the corners of the room where he appeared to be sunning himself underneath one of the nearby hanging lights. Anders chuckled, somewhat relieved now to hear Fenris’ opinions on them having children together.

“No, I suppose not. But actually, um. Adoption isn’t what I’m proposing, exactly.”

Fenris frowned and gave him an odd look, as though he’d hit his head or something and Anders held up a finger. “Now wait, wait! That’s what the news from work is about. You know that program that’s been in the works for several years developing a treatment for couples like us to have children naturally?”

“They… yes?” Fenris seemed to be putting two and two together now but remained quiet so as to allow Anders to finish, which he went ahead and did.

“Well, last year the chemistry lab finalized their work on the project and now the ah, program has been, uh… approved to start clinical trials. Hospital staff and their spouses are encouraged to participate if they meet the requirements.” Anders reached behind him to rub at a spot on his neck he liked to touch when he got nervous, but Fenris gently pulled it back down and calmly met Anders’ gaze while offering him a soft smile.

“You want us to sign up? Is that it? Did you think I wouldn’t want to?”

Anders smiled sheepishly and nodded. “Yeah, I did. Wait.” He paused, frowning and setting down his fork. “You want to try it as well?”

Fenris nodded. “It _is_ still an experimental treatment. It might only work for me and not you or vice versa.” Fenris paused. “What if it doesn’t work for either of us?” Anders shrugged. “Then we can look into adopting, I suppose. However it should work for at least one of us if we’re both going to be trying it.”

Anders reached over and took one of Fenris’ hands into his own.

“Thank you so much for agreeing to this. You have no idea how happy this makes me.”

Fenris returned his smile and leaned over to press a kiss to one corner of his mouth. “I think I can imagine. I think I’d like to read more about how it works, of course, but… I would love to raise a child with you, sweetheart.” Anders grinned. “We’re going to have so much fun trying to conceive aren’t we?”

There was a deep sigh followed by a low, rumbling chuckle. “Oh, absolutely. The things I’m going to do to you…”

Anders shivered in anticipation, making a mental note to set aside an application for the both of them tomorrow morning along with some of the pamphlets that had been drawn up to explain the treatment process.

As he sat there, a feeling of wonder filled his heart when he glanced over at his husband who had since resumed consuming his dinner. Everything had gone better than he had expected and then some; Fenris’ offering to take the treatment as well would certainly increase their odds. Anders wondered if other couples would be doing the same.

They finished their meal and then stood to bring their dishes back to the kitchen, Anders taking a moment to draw Fenris into a tight hug and bury his face into the soft white hair.

“You’re probably going to hear this a lot,” he whispered, “but thank you, again. I love you.” Fenris chuckled. “And I love you. I’m rather glad myself, actually. It’s exciting, starting a new chapter of our lives. I look forward to sharing it with you.”

“Me too, darling. Me too.”

* * *

 

A few weeks later, all of the paperwork had been filed, brochures had been read, and lectures about reporting health complications and side effects of magic and medications were given.

Now, Fenris was wrapping up a report earlier than usual so that he could make the appointment he and Anders had scheduled for their first treatments.

His ears twitched as he heard someone approach his desk, someone in high heels to be specific, so he was not surprised when a dusky colored hand put itself on his desk to the right of his keyboard. Breasts pressed against his shoulder as a cascade of curls threatened to obscure his vision. He sighed, grumbling.

“Isabela, would you please move? I am trying to finish this report.”

Isabela made a dismissive sound in the back of her throat, but moved away to turn around and lean against his desk. She folded her arms and pretended to pout at him.

“‘Trying?’ Hah, that’s rich. You look just about done to me. You got a hot date for lunch, sweet thing?” She winked, and Fenris rolled his eyes. “My husband, yes. But not for lunch. He and I are going to participating in the clinical trials that Kirkwall General is running.” She tilted her head and raised a surprised eyebrow.

“Really? You and Sparklefingers are gonna be trying for kids? I didn’t think you the type. And you don’t think that it’s rather quick for you to be thinking about them now?”

Fenris shrugged, and shifted the mouse to click print. He swiveled his chair around so that he could face her properly. “We were dating for years before we got married, Isabela, and we’ve been married for about half a year now. Anders is actually really excited about this, and I know both of our families have a history of… troubles with this.”

“Ah. You’re both going to try for one then. Increase the odds?”

Fenris nodded, glancing over at the printer to make sure it wasn’t jammed or anything.

“Yes,” he answered, folding his own arms across his chest and smirking, “And I don’t see why you’re in any position to sound so accusatory. Aren’t you and your wife participating too?”

Isabela groaned, rolling her eyes and sighing.

“Yeah, fine, fine.” She blew air sharply through her lips in a soft sigh. “Kitten’s wanted them for a while, since before her lab started work on the project. I guess I figured I’d pitch in, you know. And it’s not that I don’t mind kids; they’re alright. I just… hope it doesn’t work for me. Not too big on the thought of all that comes with… getting big, you know? Kitten seems the type to love it, but I suspect I would not be a fan.”

Fenris raised a single eyebrow. “You’re still willing to go through with it though if you become pregnant? Even for Merrill?” Isabela nodded, her lips turning to a wistful smile. “Merrill’s not had a lot of things to be joyful about in life, and kids are supposed to be a source of joy, right? I mean, except when they’re not. It’s still taken me a long time to come around to the idea, but I think if I’m raising a kid with her, it won’t be so bad.”

A chuckle escaped Fenris as the printer finished and he got up to fetch the report, stapler in hand. “As long as you’ve got your head and heart in the right place, Isabela. I said this to Anders before we agree to start this but… children are a big investment.”

“I know that,” Isabela huffed in reply. Then she sighed and wrapped her arms around her in an uncharacteristic display of vulnerability. “My mother wasn’t the best parent to me either, and for a long time I…” She trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.

Fenris picked up the report and leafed through it to make sure it was all there.

“I think I understand,” he told her seriously. “My upbringing was also less than ideal. But it is in the past now, and at present I have a husband whom I love who will gladly help me in this endeavor. I believe that as long as we are in agreement about this, things will work out.” He stapled the report and carefully inserted it into an envelope. He nodded slightly in her direction.

“You and Merrill are a fine pair that care about one another just as deeply. You’ll be alright, I think.” Fenris flashed her a smile, which earned him a briefly surprised expression before a returning grin took over her face.

“You know Fen, if you ever consider retiring early, I recommend writing romance?”

Fenris made a face. “I might be marginally better at it than Varric, at least.” Isabela snorted, chortling, “Hey! Don’t you dare insult the work of art that is Swords and Shields! That shit is gold.” Fenris snorted. “Art indeed. Postmodern art, probably.”

“I have no idea what that is.”

Fenris just smirked at her and waved her off. “Enjoy your day, Isabela. I’m off for the afternoon.” He turned around and made for the captain’s office, surprised to find Aveline still inside at this hour, staring angrily at a piece of paper in her hands.

He knocked on the frame of the open door, just to get her attention. “Someone forget to proofread again?” Fenris asked, and she just made a disgusted noise he could not discern the intent of and she shook her head.

“No. Just… personal… troubles. I hate wedding planning.”

Fenris did his best to keep his smirk to himself but doubted that he had been able to hide it entirely. “Well, here’s today’s report and, speaking of plans… did you read my email from last week?”

Aveline put away the offending papers and nodded, assuming her composed captain face once more. “Yes, I remember. You and Anders are participating in that new trial and in the event that you get pregnant you’ll need time off and such, yes. I am aware. Explaining it to human resources is going to be… interesting.”

Her lips pursed which caused Fenris some momentary concern, but he relaxed once he realized that her irritation was not with him. “Well, I won’t know for a while yet, but I will let you know if I need that time as soon as I am aware of things.”

She shrugged. “I assume you will need time regardless. But go on, don’t let me keep you, and I’ll see you… tomorrow?” Fenris nodded, unable to keep the smile from his face any longer. “If the procedure’s side effects aren’t, ah... keeping me in bed, at least.”

Aveline snorted dismissively. “At least try to call me if you require a few days to… recover, won’t you?” Fenris chuckled. “I will do my best.”

The two exchanged a brief nod and Fenris left the precinct for the hospital immediately, anxious to see Anders and begin the first step of this next chapter in their lives. A part of him was still concerned about the small amounts of magic being used, but Anders had assured him that the assistance was minimal.

It would be worth it though, just to see Anders smile. The great sex they were likely to have later? That was just a bonus. Mostly.


	2. Conception

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ladies and gentlemen, we have smut! Rejoice. \^o^/
> 
> I also added some screenshots to... set the mood. ;P

Fenris breathed in deeply, but did not exhale. He held it for a few moments before he let it out slowly, repeating the process while he waited for his head to stop spinning and his guts to quit churning.

He did not want to throw up all over the carpet in Anders’ office, where he was currently waiting out the after effects of the rather intense treatment they had been subjected to.

Fenris doubted that Anders would mind, considering as his husband looked only marginally better from his place at his desk, but he knew from experience that vomit stains on carpet were _the worst_. The stains were mostly easy to get rid of, but the smell… tended to linger. And this was a nice office, if a little small.

Yeah no, he really didn’t want to throw up in here.

“You doing alright over there?” he heard Anders ask over the loud click-clack of his typing. Fenris merely groaned and pulled one of the couch’s pillows over his eyes, leaving his nose and mouth exposed. Anders chuckled a little, though he sounded slightly winded.

“Yeah, I feel you,” Anders continued breathily, probably trying to avoid the same thing Fenris was. “I’m told this should pass in the next hour or so, then you can go home and rest. In the meantime, there’s a trash can under that end table near your head there, so please, use that if you need to… you know.”

Fenris groaned again, but reached around behind him to rummage for the can and dragged it next to him, just in case.

Thankfully, he turned out not to need it, as the pounding headache and churning guts faded within the promised hour, leaving him exhausted but fairly alert and pain-free. Anders handed him a zipper bag with individual vials of various liquids with specifically numbered labels.

“Oh, here, take these before you go,” Anders told him as Fenris zipped the bag back up after inspecting its contents.

“These would be the supplemental treatments, yes?” Fenris asked, holding up the bag. Anders nodded. “Take the first one when you get home and the rest of them at half hour intervals. The worst things that you should feel is an increased sense of lethargy, a tightness of the chest, and some pains and aches around your hips and pelvic area. If you feel _anything_ else, call the emergency line _immediately_ , alright?”

“Of course, of course.” Fenris brushed back Anders’ bangs and pressed a quick kiss there. “When will you be home?”

Anders leaned back in his chair and appeared to think for a moment.

“Not as late as usual. The treatment outline says that once all of the supplements have been taken and we’ve slept for a solid eight hours or so, we’ll start feeling… um. Frisky. They want us to go home and rest as soon as possible so that process can start. I’m taking the weekend off, plus a few more days, just in case.”

Fenris chuffed. “Can you stand being away from work that long? Even if we’re too obsessed with each other to leave the house, you’d still find a way to think about work.” Anders snorted. “The same could be said for you, workaholic. At least I leave my work _at_ work.” He winked, and waved Fenris away.

“Go home, take your meds, get some rest or something. I’ll be home no later than five so I can make dinner.” Anders flashed him a wide grin. “Unless… you want to try cooking again?”

Fenris made a face. “I think I’ll leave that to you. The last time I tried to touch anything in your kitchen it did not go well. I’ll stick to making cocktails, thank you.” He waved goodbye as Anders snickered behind him, and Fenris enjoyed the drive home in relative peace and quiet.

Once he arrived, Fenris took the first vial as instructed, and he settled down to write another email to Aveline saying he would need a few days for the treatment to go through his system. For Aveline’s sake he tried to be brief on the details, and he promised that he would call as soon as he felt ready to come back to work.

He set an alarm for his next dosage of the treatment, closed the laptop, and went in search of a new book to chew through.

* * *

 

As Anders had warned him, his chest felt a little tight and tender as the hours went on, and his hips and pelvic area did ache something awful. He was grateful that the lethargy he’d expected did not make him sleepy, just exhausted from all of the changes that were going on inside him, and he was content to remain in one place and read or play games on his phone.

He expected the feelings of arousal to start after the last vial which he took after they’d eaten dinner, but Anders merely shrugged and said, “It might not even kick in until tomorrow. Our bodies are still adjusting to all we’ve put them through today.”

Fenris figured he was right, because once his head hit the pillow later when they turned in for bed, he was asleep almost instantly.

He woke up shortly after noon to the smell of biscuits and bacon wafting in through the open bedroom door. He slid out of bed, and shuffled about in his red boxers and slippers until he found his fuzzy black robe and put it on before puttering his way towards the kitchen.

Anders was of course making breakfast (or was it lunch now?), and was currently scrambling some eggs on the fancy electric stovetop in only a loose, punny cat t-shirt and heart printed boxers.

Fenris couldn’t help but smile, remembering those very same boxers from their first meeting. His eyes however couldn’t help but linger on the curve of Anders’ ass, and the image of what that ass looked like without the boxers had Fenris stopping to stare as he swayed a little.His oblivious partner didn’t notice his stares until he was at last finished with the eggs, and Anders blinked at him in surprise.

“Oh, good morning! Err…” Anders tilted his head to look at the clock above the stovetop. “Well. Afternoon, I suppose.” Anders smiled to himself before looking up again and turning off everything before he burned something.

“You still feeling some after effects from the medications?” Anders asked worriedly as he herded Fenris to sit down at the countertop table they sometimes used for more intimate meals. Fenris shook his head to clear it, leaning over to capture Anders’ lips in a kiss. And hot damn, what a kiss!

Anders pulled away, pupils blown wide with obvious arousal.

“Wow,” he whispered, “I’d say… yes.”

Fenris huffed, grumbling, “It’s not me, it’s you. Your ass is too mesmerizing.”

“Well, you got that right,” Anders chuckled, walking back and reaching into one of the cabinets for some plates. He shuffled about for a little while, loading the plates with their breakfast, setting them down on the counter and sitting down calmly. Well. Sort of.

Fenris could see the arousal that simmered in Anders’ eyes as he dug into his food, flicking up every so often to look at him. “Is my face as mesmerizing as your ass? You keep staring at me more than your food.” Fenris drizzled a generous amount of honey onto both halves of his biscuit, pressed them together, and then bit into it, taking great care not to let any honey dribble down his chin.

“Ugh, your entire body is more mesmerizing than my ass,” Anders chuffed. “You have no idea how close I was to just dry humping you in your sleep this morning.”

“I wouldn’t have minded,” Fenris purred as he began to start in on his eggs and bacon.

“With the way I’m feeling now, I’m pretty sure I’d’ve been into it.”

A chuckle escaped Anders as he fought to not choke on his food while eating. “The feeling is mutual, I assure you. Damn, those drugs are really something, huh?” Anders sighed wistfully and shook his head. “But anyway, I wanted us to eat something first before we went back to bed to start fucking like rabbits.”

“I don’t think rabbits breed quite _that_ often, Anders. They just have a lot per litter.”

“Yeah, well.” Anders waved a fork at him teasingly. “Not my fault that saying goes the way it does.”

“I’m also certain that the more common version of that saying is more kid friendly.”

“ _Fennnn_ ,” Anders whined, gently grasping one of his wrists, robe and all. “You’re missing the point.” Fenris panted softly, grasping the table as the sensation of having his wrist grabbed in such a way made all the blood in his body rush to the other head.

“I, um. I’m afraid I’m having trouble remembering what that point was, exactly. Can we go back to bed now and get on with the fucking?”

Anders reached up to cup the back of his head so that he could press Fenris’ lips to his. It started out soft and sweet, but once Fenris’ brain registered that Anders’ scent was filling his nose, it rapidly devolved into an open-mouthed tongue-twister of a kiss that left them both panting, hearts racing as they parted and left their foreheads pressed together. Anders nodded, presumably to Fenris’ proposal.

“Um, yeah, that sounds good,” Anders mumbled. “You go on back and I’ll clean up. Promise, I’ll be right behind you.”

“Mmm, eventually, yes,” Fenris purred, which had Anders descending into a fit of laughter as he strode confidently back to their bedroom.

Once there, he laid back on top of the rumpled sheets, both legs splayed to display the arousal he was slowly teasing with one hand through his boxers. When Anders walked back through the door and saw him lying there, the surprised, intrigued look on the other man’s face was absolutely priceless.

“What?” Fenris asked, chuckling. “You send me back to bed after a kiss like that and you expected me to just lie here?”

Anders huffed, running a hand through his hair as he stumbled over his own feet in an attempt to reach the edge of the bed.

“It’s quite the, ah… greeting, certainly,” Anders giggled quietly. He shuffled over to his side of the bed, and Fenris noted that the blonde was nearly just as aroused as he was. He seemed not to care though, as he tugged at the blankets and pulled them over Fenris and himself. Fenris raised an eyebrow.

Anders ducked his head and a flush bloomed on his cheeks.

“I like it when we have sex under the covers. It makes me feel so… safe, you know? Warm and safe and loved… I hope that’s alright with you.”

Fenris nodded despite that under the blankets, the temperature of the room seemed to go from pleasantly warm to sweltering. It was a good kind of sweltering however, as his discomfort immediately turned to pleasure when Anders laid half on top of him and ran a hand all along his body, fingers tracing the swirling tattoos of his misspent youth.

Fenris hated them, hated that he’d had to get them, but he knew Anders loved them.

That made him not mind them so much.

“Is this good?” Anders whispered, and Fenris nodded, unable to form words. Instead, he just kissed Anders again, everywhere he could reach while only moving his head.

Anders’ hand eventually wormed its way into his boxers and stroked his length at a leisurely pace. Fenris gasped and bucked his hips, hands clutching at the sheets as they tried to find something to hold on to. “Faster,” he panted, but Anders merely whispered, “Shh! It’s alright, I have you,” and continued to stroke while he slowly ground his own burgeoning erection against Fenris’ hip.

Fenris’ hands grasped the hem of Anders’ “I’m purr-ty cute!” t-shirt and pulled it over his head, tossing it off the side. “You won’t be able to wear that once you start showing,” he teased. “It’s pretty tight on you already you know.”

“I know, that’s why I only wear it to bed,” Anders snickered. “Though I might still wear it anyway, just so you have an excuse to rub my belly.”

“I would rub it no matter what you were wearing, as long as you rubbed mine in return.”

Anders moved over him and hummed as he bent to press a line of kisses down Fenris’ chest. “You know, for all that you say you’re a dog person, you behave very much like a cat who wants to be pet. So contrary.” Fenris could feel Anders’ smile against his skin, particularly when his lips latched onto a nipple and gently tugged at it. Fenris gasped and ground his hips against Anders, who responded in kind, and that was when Fenris realized they still both had their boxers on.

“Underwear, off,” he barked, and Anders chuckled but gladly complied.

Whilst still remaining under the covers, Fenris removed his own boxers and Anders went looking for the lube. A moment land a triumphant, “Ah-ha!” later, Anders was scooting back over with a tube in hand. He was biting at it impatiently, trying to tear the plastic off of the cap with his teeth and Fenris sighed, rolling his eyes.

“Anders, I’m impatient, but not that impatient. Here, spare your teeth the torture and let me do it.” Fenris tugged the tube away as Anders gave him a sheepish look, removing the plastic with ease. Of course Anders would’ve thought to buy new lube.

“On your side?” Fenris asked, holding up the tube. “Or would you rather I did it first?”

“Mm–nah. I want you inside me,” Anders muttered into Fenris’ chest. He rolled onto his side and bat his eyelashes at Fenris. “This way’s fine. ‘s more intimate like this.”

Fenris opened the tube and coated his fingers with the stuff. It smelled faintly of cookies.

“Is this… safe to lick?” Fenris couldn’t help but ask. Anders’ resulting blush was all the answer he needed. “I mean, I wouldn’t go eating the entire tube at once, but yeah. It’s safe. If you want, we can do fun things with it later?”

The high pitched whine in Anders’ voice made Fenris chuckle.

“Alright, alright. I’ll get on with it. Come here, move closer so I can reach you.”

Anders grinned and shuffled closer so that they were chest to chest, cocks rubbing slightly against one another and sending little waves of pleasure up and down Fenris’ spine. Fenris pulled one of Anders’ legs over his hip and reached behind Anders with his lubed fingers to prod at his entrance.

Fenris enjoyed lazily making out with Anders while he fingered the man, stopping only to occasionally relube or because his lungs required air. It was so different from their usual quick wanks before the exhaustion of their schedules threatened to consume them and drag them into sleep; he quite enjoyed the slow build-up and quiet foreplay.

Eventually he had Anders panting and whining in his arms, cock at full mast and leaking precome profusely between them.

“Finally moving on to the good bits?” Anders huffed as Fenris put aside the tube of lube and rolled them so that Anders was lying on top. “Moving on? All of your bits are good, and I can’t move on from you. It’s sort of why I married you.” The two nuzzled noses and Anders huffed a short breath of laughter as he reached back to position Fenris properly.

“Aw, you’re so sweet. You’re gonna go well later with that lube I bought.”

Anders pressed back on Fenris’ cock, gasping slightly when the head popped through, though he was quick to take the rest of Fenris to the hilt. They held very still for a moment, just enjoying the quiet intimacy of being joined together.

Until Fenris couldn’t handle it anymore and his hips jerked a little, causing them both to moan. The angle forced them to go slower than they usually did, being huddled close and under the covers as they were, but Fenris could agree that sex under the covers was much more intimate and personal.

And potentially, they could create a child from this.

Fenris pulled Anders closer, as though he could merge with the man through sheer will alone. His hips twitched rhythmically to a beat more primal than Fenris’ brain could comprehend, and with each thrust he felt Anders clench around him. Sweat soaked them both and made their skin cling where it touched, though this merely enhanced the sensations that Anders’ hands and mouth wrung out of him.

He hovered in a haze of pleasure and overstimulation, succumbing to Anders’ seemingly endless onslaught of kisses while giving as good as he got. Fenris loved to hear Anders moan, and in this moment he was being especially vocal.

“Fen, Fen, Fennnnnris,” Anders gibbered, breathing heavily as he tried to bury his face in Fenris’ hair, “Oh Fenris this feels so good, you have no idea how good. It’s, it’s… it’s like cheesecake and chocolate and fuck, how it makes me ache for you even as you hit my sweet spot every time–!”

Fenris was surprised that Anders had remained so coherent. He’d given up on being able to form words long ago.

In response, he picked up the pace of his thrusts and tightened his grasp on Anders’ ass, guiding the man to match him thrust for thrust. Anders finally lost his ability to speak and just held onto Fenris as they chased their respective highs, though Fenris was determined to see that Anders finish first.

He managed it after a particularly hard thrust where his lips found the crook of Anders’ neck and he bit down hard, giving it a long suck for good measure. Fenris wanted this mark to last.

It served enough of a catalyst to send Anders over the edge though as he cried out and threw his head back as far as Fenris’ grip on his neck would allow. His back bowed slightly as his body jerked sideways in pleasure, and Fenris felt Anders’ seed spill between them in hot, sticky spurts. His body clenched around Fenris’ length, further increasing his pleasure… and Fenris thrust once more, letting himself follow Anders into a white hot haze of bliss that overtook his vision.

Awareness slowly came back to him when he felt Anders trying to disentangle himself from the nest of limbs and blankets, but Fenris just pulled him close and whispered, “Shh. I have you. Just… stay awhile. Just like this.”

Anders whimpered. “But I want to be in you so bad…”

Fenris chuffed. “I want that too, but I just… want to enjoy this for a little while.”

He expected another protest, yet Anders merely paused, nodded, and settled back down. Fenris, still buried inside Anders, twitched in residual waves of pleasure the likes he’d never experienced before. When he asked about it, Anders mumbled something about female pleasure being similar and that the medications may have altered their refractory periods a bit, though it was difficult to follow it all exactly when Anders was only marginally more coherent than he was.

Eventually however, the pleasure dimmed and ceased altogether, allowing Fenris and Anders to disentangle themselves from one another.

Anders laid down next to him with a soft thump.

“Wow,” he breathed, awe heavy in his voice. “That was… amazing.” He rolled over, wincing a little when he appeared to recall the drying stickiness on his stomach.

“How–how was it for you?”

Fenris huffed and leaned over to give Anders another kiss on the cheek. “It was good, I promise. It always is.”

Anders pouted, or he tried to, except he couldn’t seem to help the giggle that bubbled out of his lips at Fenris’ words. “Fenris, stop that, come on… you know I blush like a tomato when you say such things.”

“What can I say? You’re a very sexy tomato.”

“...um. Okay. Maybe don’t say _that_.”

Fenris snickered. “Well, I’m gonna head to the shower and wash up. Feel free to come join me if you wish… or wait here for me. Either works.”

He winked, slid out from under the covers and off of the bed, and sashayed off in the direction of the bathroom wearing only his black fluffy robe. Anders would be following him soon enough, he was certain. It was just a question of how long Anders would wait before he joined in. The man loved a good steamy shower after all.

* * *

Anders watched with baited breath as Fenris sauntered into the bathroom, not even bothering to close the door. He wanted to get up and scamper after the elf, but he figured that they should pace themselves while the medications were still running rampant through their systems.

Yeah, taking a couple minutes to breath was probably a good idea and you know, dying during sex was a thing. He didn’t want to be one of _those_ people.

Anders let himself sink back into the sheets for a moment, closing his eyes and taking a few deep breaths. Arousal still pulsed through him in waves and rolled off his body like a fever. Momentarily concerned, Anders rolled over and dug around in the bedside table drawer for a thermometer he kept around just in case, and he popped it in his mouth.

At the sound of the beep he pulled it out and glanced at it, noting that he _did_ have a minor fever, though it wasn’t anything to be concerned about just yet.

He made a note to keep tabs on it though.

Was Fenris feeling feverish, he wondered? Anders huffed, sighing and running a hand through his bedraggled hair. Fenris tended to be hyper-aware of stuff that went on with his body, though he rarely told Anders about it unless it was serious.

“Oh well,” he huffed. “It’s not serious _yet_. That’s what’s important.”

What _was_ important was the sounds coming from the bathroom, the soft pitter patter of water on tile and the gentle whistling that accompanied it. His cock twitched at the thought of his naked elf, all soaped up and dripping, waiting for him to wander in.

He smirked as he glanced down at his already hardening length and he decided that he’d waited long enough.

Swiping the tube of lube from where it had escaped within the mess of sheets and blankets, he slid off of the bed and headed in that direction. Upon entering the room, he glanced at the steam rising from the lip of the shower and felt a grin form on his face.

As quietly as he possibly could, he snuck up to the door of the shower and grasped the handle, pulling tightly. He heard a gasp, and there before him in all his beautifully naked, tattooed glory was Fenris, soap suds clinging to the parts of his body the water couldn’t reach. Anders’ grin widened, and he chuckled.

“Well, well. A handsome creature has stolen my husband and snuck into my shower! Whatever I shall do?”

Fenris’ initial feigned gasp of shock disappeared immediately as he said this, and the elf reached out to grasp his wrist, a similar grin tugging at the edges of his lips. He chuckled, and Anders shivered despite the damp heat wafting into his face.

“You’ll get in here and fuck me senseless,” Fenris purred. “But,” the elf paused, dropping the act for a few beats, “please do it quickly? You’re getting water all over the rug.”

Anders laughed, stepping in and closing the door behind him.

“Couldn’t stay in character because I was getting water all over the rug? That’s such a you thing to do.” He pulled the elf to him, nuzzling their noses together. Fenris smiled, shaking his head and sighing. “Roleplay has always been your thing anyway you know,” Fenris muttered as he tilted his head back to get more water into his hair. “I do enough ‘role playing’ at work.”

Anders hummed noncommittally as he set the lube in the caddy that held their shampoo and body washes. “I know, I know. But you do like it when we spice things up in the bedroom _sometimes_ . Remember that corset Isabela gave us as a wedding gift? I know you liked that.” Anders winked. “You liked it a _lot_ if I recall.”

Fenris grumbled and pressed himself firmly into Anders’ embrace, reaching down and grasping both of their cocks. Anders moaned softly and he stumbled forward, putting them underneath the pelting stream of water.

“I suppose you’re right about that,” Fenris panted into Anders’ ear, “and if you’re very good then maybe later we can indulge in a bit of that. But for now…” Fenris trailed off, pulling away to catch Anders’ gaze, “... for now I want you to. Fuck. Me. Senseless.”

His gaze narrowed and his smirk quirked up just a little more to one side.

“Now.”

Anders knees trembled a little, and if Fenris noticed his moment of weakness, he didn’t care. Mostly because damn if Fenris’ commands didn’t send his arousal spiking into overdrive because of his preference of being bossed around in bed. Or the shower, rather. Fuck it, wherever the elf wanted, he’d take him there, or let himself be taken.

As long as Fenris said those words in that tone of voice, Anders thought he might even drop his pants and do naughty things in public if he asked.

“A-alright then,” Anders stuttered, reaching back for the caddy affixed to the wall. He found the lube and coated his fingers, not wasting any time in having Fenris turn around so that he could prepare him properly. He grinned when Fenris moaned shamelessly loud after he’d put a second finger in up to the knuckle, and a ragged groan at a third. A fourth and a few prostate presses later had Fenris’ knees visibly shaking as he braced himself against the wall, muttering incoherent words in his native language.

Eventually the elf managed to clear his throat and half growled, half whined, “I’m ready, do it now,” and Anders was glad to oblige. He’d been idly stroking himself every once in awhile when he didn’t have a hand on Fenris’ chest or ass, keeping the elf supported.

Anders lined himself up and pressed forward, sinking into the tight heat of his husband’s ass, and he couldn’t help his own shameless moan once he was sheathed to the hilt in warm, wet heat and twitching, rippling musculature. He clung to Fenris, wrapping one arm around the elf’s chest while the other was braced against the back shower wall, and the two stood there underneath the water, just letting it run over them.

“Can I move?” Anders asked very quietly a few heartbeats later, and Fenris nodded with an affirmative grunt.

Anders’ first thrusts were shallower than he would’ve liked, but after the sensations of that first drag out shot bright bolts of pleasure up and down his spine, he quickened his pace and moved his hand to pump Fenris’ own cock in time with his thrusts.

They panted together, again pressing as close to one another as possible in an attempt to meld their bodies and their pleasure into one being.

“Anders,” Fenris whined, “I’m so close Anders…”

“I know,” Anders grunted in return, “I’m trying–!”

“Anders, I love you.”

The sound of the water faded and Anders’ heart thudded loudly in his ears they way it did every time that Fenris outright said that he loved him. It filled his heart with a joy so heavy it made him feel light that he turned Fenris’ head around just enough so that he could crash his lips against Fenris’ and the angle of his thrusts changed slightly.

Anders could feel Fenris’ trembling increase as the elf’s cock pulsed, hot and heavy in his hand. He stroked, pumped, pressed against Fenris’ perineum, all while their teeth clacked together and their tongues fought in a war of dominance that was for once in Anders’ favor. Anders pumped faster until at last Fenris gave a sharp, keening cry and broke their kiss to throw his head back and his muscles clamped around Anders in time with the spasming of his orgasm.

This was when Anders finally let himself finish chasing his own pleasure and he came moments later, shuddering and shivering despite the hot water still falling around them.

They remained that way as they had the first time, waiting until the aftershocks left them and they could finally disentangle themselves without their arousal resurfacing. Anders reached for their shampoo and began washing Fenris’ hair in the companionable silence that settled afterwards, and Fenris did the same in return.

Their bodies were next, though they were careful to give more perfunctory washings of their more sensitive areas as they did so. Once the were finished, the water was turned off and they towelled each other dry and combed the other’s hair.

It wasn’t like they hadn’t done this before, but this time seemed strangely more intimate than Anders remembered it being.

He didn’t mind though, and it didn’t seem to him that Fenris did either. In fact, the elf appeared to soak up the attention more than if not at least as much as Anders did. He had this lazy, self satisfied grin on his face when they'd first stepped out of the shower, and it warmed Anders’ heart to see his husband enjoying himself so much. The elf rarely let himself relax enough to truly enough anything as it was sort of a hazard of his job, always being on alert. But... here in their home, in Anders’ arms?

Here, Fenris could truly let go and give in, and Anders was loving it.

After their mutual grooming session and a quick snack, they returned to their bed for some rest and cuddles. Facing one another with their limbs intertwined underneath the layers of blankets and sheets, Anders felt sleep creep upon him.

“Wow, Fen,” he yawned softly, “that really tuckered me out there. You?”

Fenris merely gave another affirmative grunt and snuggled closer, burying his face in Anders’ clothed chest. Anders chuckled.

“Yeah, me too. Well, I’m just gonna rest my eyes for a bit and then–” another yawn “–then well… oh. Maybe have another go at it if we’re feeling up to it.” Fenris hummed and very quietly whispered, “Sounds like a plan,” as Anders was closing his eyes.

Anders fell asleep thinking about what the future might look like should this little experiment succeed; content–for the moment–with just Fenris’ presence to warm him, body and soul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last one still makes me snicker, cause it looks too much like something that could be a _really_ personal Snapchat photo or something. XD


	3. Kingsway + Harvestmere (1st + 2nd Month)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Anders worries, Fenris has questionable judgements about the shelf life of breakfast burritos, the merits of pineapple on pizza are debated, and some well anticipated news finally arrives.
> 
> Featuring [Idris Elba](http://timesorceror.tumblr.com/post/156553352870/andrastesknickerweasel-therealmnemo) as Justice, and a small cameo from Zevran and his Warden. Also more screenshots, just because. :P

Anders breezed into the examination room as he studied the clipboard Lirene had handed him. He looked up upon noticing whose name was on the report, his face breaking out into a huge grin.

“Commander Mahariel! It’s good to see you! I didn’t know you were participating in the trial.”

The tan, auburn-haired elf sitting on the table chuckled sheepishly, shaking his head.

“Oh, you know I’m not your Commander anymore, Anders. It’s just Athros now. It’s good to see you too though, and uh, yeah I’m participating in the trial.” His ears drooped as he wrung his hands and sighed deeply. “Though I’m afraid that my treatment didn’t take. All my tests keep coming back negative.” Anders glanced down at the information on the sheet in front of him, one eyebrow raised.

“That’s… not what your blood work says,” Anders replied slowly, frowning.

Athros’ dark eyebrows rose so far they nearly blended into his hair. “What?”

Anders nodded. “Yeah, your blood tests came back positive. You’re pregnant.” His brow furrowed even more as he tilted his head to study Athros’

The silence in the room was quite thick until a knock broke it, followed by the door opening and Lirene popped her head in. “Dr. Skovsgaard? Serah Mahariel’s husband is here. Should I let him in?”

“Yes, yes, please!” Anders immediately made a waving motion and in strode this supermodel of an elf with long blonde hair and dusky skin.

“Zevran!” Athros squeaked. “Wh-Wha… why are you here?”

Zevran quirked a curious eyebrow at his husband, sidestepping Anders to stand next to Athros and grab his hand gingerly. “I came because we are doing this together, no?” The hand gently gripping Athros’ moved up to rub soothing circles into his arm. Anders felt slightly uncomfortable, as though he were witnessing a tender moment that he shouldn’t be seeing.

“I am here to support you, _mi amore_ ,” Zevran purred. Then he turned to glance in Anders’ direction and he felt his body give a little start. “So doctor, what is the news?”

“I’m pregnant,” Athros blurted before Anders could say anything.

Zevran gasps slightly and quickly glances between Anders and Athros.

“Truly? I was under the impression that the treatment was unsuccessful.”

Anders grunted and shook his head. “It’s a problem we’ve been noticing, especially with the men who are participating in this trial. Home pregnancy tests, at least the ones currently on the market, seem to be unable to given accurate results on a consistent basis. We’re advising patients to come in and have ultrasounds and blood work done if they’re not sure.”

Athros still appeared to be struggling with the knowledge that he was pregnant.

Anders gave him a reassuring smile. “I can’t do an ultrasound for you right now, that you’ll need another appointment for. However you came in a week after your treatment to have your blood taken, and the results came in a few days ago.”

“Which is why I was called in,” Athros finished, nodding slowly. Anders breathed a sigh of relief, noting that Athros was calming down at last.

“Yes, absolutely. Now this is only a basic check-in, so I’m just going to take down your weight and blood pressure and such and then ask you a few questions about how your experience with the treatment went.”

“What kind of… experience?” Zevran asked, winking and waggling his eyebrows.

Athros scowled playfully. “I’m pretty sure he’s not asking about how the sex was–”

“–it was very good though!”

“Zev, please,” Athros begged, giggling, “Please don’t.”

Anders couldn’t help but snicker at the display. “As much as I’m glad to know that my former Commander has a, hmm… very attentive husband, he’s right in that I don’t need to know how _particularly_ attentive. Or at least the questionnaire doesn’t need to know that.” Zevran chuckled.

“Commander, hmm? You must’ve been a Warden then.”

“It paid for medical school. Definitely beat out trying to get a loan from one of those awful Circle Banks. But anyway, I digress.” He set the clipboard down on the counter and clapped his hands together.

“Let’s get this examination over with and then you can go celebrate! Just… no alcohol for you, Commander.”

Athros flushed and nodded while beside him, his husband grinned like the cat that’d caught the canary. It was nice, seeing Athros happy. Anders went about his examination and asked his questions, all the while sharing stories with Athros about his personal life and such. Athros was pleasantly surprised to hear Anders admit he was participating in the trial as well.

“Yeah, both my husband and myself are. Sorry I didn’t invite you to the wedding… you’re rather hard to get ahold of.”

Athros shrugged, smiling sheepishly. “I’m guessing that’ll change soon though. I moved around a lot as a kid and I remember hating it so much whenever I made friends with people at school and then just had to up and leave again.”

“It will be nice, seeing what life is like in suburbia,” Zevran teased. “We’ll need another kid and a cat and dog to make it complete, however. What do you say to a mabari?”

Athros merely sighed and rolled his eyes. “Let’s just focus on the one kid first, okay?”

He turned back to Anders who had been finishing his notes on the questionnaire. “So do you know if it worked for you or your husband yet?”

Anders shook his head and huffed in frustration. “No. I know it’s still early yet, but it’s hard to align our schedules to get a good time for him to come in and have our blood work done all at once. I’d love to just know and be done with it, but it looks like for now we’ll just have to play the waiting game and see what happens.”

Athros offered him a cheery smile. “I think your patience will pay off. You’ll find out one way or another.”

Anders smiled back and walked the couple back out into the clinic lobby. “We certainly will. Say, do look me up later? I’d like to keep in touch. You know, as your friend and not your doctor.”

“Absolutely!” Athros chirped. “I’ll do that! You have a good day then, and may time pass quickly for you!”

Later, Anders trudged into the hospital break room with a lighter heart than usual after a long session of checking up on clinic patients. The break room microwave called to him while he pulled some of last night’s sesame chicken and fried rice from the fridge and popped it in, absorbed in his own thoughts.

About a month had passed since his own little experiment with Fenris and they still hadn’t seen any of the usual signs that the treatment had worked. If two more months went by without either of them exhibiting any symptoms, then they’d give in and have it done regardless, but until then they figured letting things run their course was best for them both.

It made Anders’ heart ache to think that they might’ve both missed the boat on this one, but given their family histories with fertility, he wouldn’t be too surprised. As he’d said, they’d still go with adoption if this didn’t go through, but _oh_ how he desperately wanted this to work. Anders sighed as he pulled his food from the microwave and sat down in one corner, grateful Merrill wasn’t around.

He liked her well enough, but the woman’s enthusiasm was sometimes more than he could stand on days like today.

Anders started digging into his food only moments before the door opened and speak of the devil, Merrill walked in. He was about to resign himself to putting up with her cheery bubbliness until he noticed how green she looked around the edges. Immediately he went over to her and began to fuss.

“Are you alright? You don’t look well.”

Merrill still offered him a smile in return, though it was obviously strained. “Yeah, I’m… fine. I just… started feeling queasy all of a sudden today and I thought maybe if I came to the break room to lie down…”

Anders frowned as he helped her to one of the bunks that some hospital staff napped on during overnight shifts.

“You’re certain it’s a stomach bug? Because, Merrill, you _are_ participating in the trial. You could be having some mild morning sickness.” Merrill’s eyes grew wide as his words registered, and a flush crept into her cheeks. “Oh, you really think so?”

Anders nodded seriously. “You should pick up some pregnancy tests on the way home today. They seem to still be working accurately for our female participants, so I would go ahead and take a few tomorrow morning.” He sighed softly. “I wish I could just take a test and be done with it.”

“Oh, _lethallin_ , don’t despair. Things will work out for you. I’m sure of it.”

Anders pouted, sighing again. “If you say so.” His own stomach grumbled uneasily and he frowned, glancing back at the table he’d left his lunch sitting on. “Hey, I’m going to bring my lunch over here if you don’t mind. Would you like me to bring you some water or something?”

“Water would be lovely,” Merrill chirped, and Anders turned on one heel to fetch a glass, holding it in one hand and his lunch in the other.

He stopped when he noticed Merrill staring at his food with a shocked, strained expression, her frame shivering slightly. When she suddenly grew a few shades greener and paler than before, his eyes immediately scanned the room to find a trash can right by the bunks, which he pointed to reflexively.

“Merrill, there’s a–”

Anders winced as she made a desperate grab for the receptacle, only just barely making it before she emptied the contents of her stomach into the basket. Gingerly, Anders set down the glass and began backing away slightly.

“I… guess you’re not a fan of my food, huh? Sorry about that… usually you love my sesame chicken.”

Merrill could only grunt softly as she set the trash can down and took the glass, taking a swig and swishing it around before spitting it into the trash. “Creators,” she groaned, “that was not a pleasant experience.”

Anders snorted, sitting at a table that was further away from where she was resting but hopefully further enough away that it wouldn’t set off another round with the trash can.

“I would imagine not. Just keep drinking that water for now, and I’ll try to finish as fast as I can, okay?” Merrill chuckled weakly. “Don’t eat too quickly on my account. Finish your food, Anders. Don’t forget to chew every bite!” An answering chuckle escaped Anders as he resumed his meal. “Already mothering me again, Merrill? Hmm. You’ll be a fantastic parent.”

Merrill flushed and tried to deny it, but Anders merely waved her protests away. She would be a good mother, and he thought she should know that. He could only hope to be as good a parent to his own children, should their little experiment succeed.

* * *

Fenris was having one of _those_ days.

This morning he’d overslept and was in a rush to get to work, forgetting the breakfast Anders usually left for him in the microwave. When he’d realized it, he’d tried to pick up some coffee and kolaches instead, but the woman in the drive-thru must have been new and nervous and had accidentally spilled some of the coffee on himself and the car.

His initial fury had been tempered by the tears and apologies that had immediately followed, but the damage had been done. At least his seats didn’t stain and his pants were black, and he could handle smelling like coffee for a day.

Of course, it hadn’t stopped there.

The long and short of it was that he was back home from a frustrating investigation and he’d come to find that the master bedroom toilet had decided to stop working between now and the previous evening. Currently he was kneeling next to the blasted thing with his tools strewn about him, fixing the problem.

Usually he was good at fixing problems. Things tended to break often in their home, and what Fenris lacked in cooking skills he more than made up for in his knowledge of home and tech repair.

“–things need to know when to stay fixed for a while,” he grumbled, swearing under his breath. “Or so help me I’m convincing Anders we should upgrade again.”

Generally Fenris enjoyed fixing things and solving household problems. It was certainly more than he could say for his investigative work that didn’t always have such clear objectives or neatly wrapped up endings. However after the day he’d been having today, fixing a broken toilet seemed more like a chore than a relaxing activity.

Fenris sighed, putting down his tools and wiping his brow.

“Hmm. This is more tiring than I thought.” He frowned, staring at the nest of pipes and cables inside the toilet container. His stomach startled him by letting loose a loud, bubbling, gurgling sound, and he flushed despite no one else being around to hear.

Glancing at his watch, he found it to be nearly two hours past noon – no wonder he was tiring so easily! He shook his head and got up to head through the bedroom so he could rummage through the fridge for some of last night’s leftovers if the breakfast in the microwave couldn’t be salvaged. Really, he’d eat anything at this point.

Of course his cell rang the second he stepped into the bedroom however, and he sighed in frustration when he caught sight of the caller. “Yes Captain?” he answered, hoping he didn’t sound as tired or distressed as he was certainly feeling.

“Isabela came in and told me about the spectacular way your interrogation went south earlier. We think we can get him to talk again if you’re willing to come in.”

“I’d like to be frank with you and say I’d rather not, Captain,” Fenris spat in a rush. Then  he reached up to massage his forehead as he sighed. “I–my apologies, Aveline. I have not had the best of days and when I came home to try to do something actually productive today, I discovered that our master bedroom’s toilet needed fixing and it hasn’t been going as well as I’d hoped. I would absolutely come back to the precinct and help with the interrogation, but I’m afraid I would not be at my best if I did.”

Aveline gave a rare little chuckle. “That’s fine, Fenris. There are plenty here who could fill in to back up Isabela. You’re just my best, and I was concerned.” There was a pause, followed by a soft sigh. “You’ve been more irritable than usual lately, and it’s not like you to complain. Not that you don’t have a right to, mind…”

“No, you’re right,” Fenris agreed. “Anders thinks it could be a side effect of the treatment, throwing my body’s equilibrium out of whack… or something.”

He gave a reflexive shrug that, belatedly, he realized she couldn’t see.

“Either way, I hope the interrogation goes well. I have a toilet to fix.”

Aveline snorted. “Good luck with that. I wouldn’t even dare to attempt to fix mine.” She paused. “I think Donnic’s good with plumbing though. Huh. I suppose it’s cheaper than calling a plumber.”

“Sometimes,” Fenris agreed. “And sometimes you’re better off calling them than screwing things up. It’s a fine line we walk, us household repairmen.”

“Ha ha. Well, again, I wish you luck, and don’t worry about your job. It’s safe, I promise you.” Fenris snorted. “Good to know. Have a good afternoon then.”

“You as well, Fenris.”

The call ended and Fenris’ stomach gave another uneasy gurgle. Right. Food.

He strode into the kitchen and found the breakfast burrito where Anders usually left it in the microwave, and he gave it a curious sniff. It _seemed_ alright. Fenris put it back and heated it up, downing it quickly and washing it down with some orange juice from the fridge. It definitely tasted alright.

Fenris’ mood seemed to lift with the meal and Aveline’s assertion that everything at work would, well... _work_ itself out. Repairing the toilet continued to take a few more hours, but at last Fenris was able to work and forget about his troubles for a little while. Once he was finished fixing the toilet he got up, put his tools away, and put on one of his soft purple cardigans. Maybe he’d surprise Anders with an early dinner at the hospital.

That thought was interrupted however when Fenris noticed a decidedly uncomfortable churning in his gut that made him briefly question his earlier decision to eat the breakfast burrito from this morning.

A sickening burning began to creep up his throat and Fenris froze. The feeling increased slightly and he bolted for the toilet. He stood there for a few very long seconds, clutching his middle as he stared at the water in the bowl, so still and pristine… he stared at it for so long he hadn’t realized that the feeling faded, though there was some tightness along his middle.

Fenris sighed. That had been a close call.

He frowned as a thought wormed its way into his head… could he be? No. Well, maybe. That was certainly a possibility now, wasn’t it? Fenris glanced at the toilet again and grumbled quietly to himself. Maybe this was still the result of eating the burrito, but he knew that he should still pay Anders a visit. They still had blood work they needed to have done after all, and today was as good a day as any.

* * *

 

Anders was a little surprised to get Fenris’ call a few hours after lunch.

“You’re free to come and get blood work done? How?” Anders asked, somewhat bewildered. He could practically hear Fenris’ shrug from over the phone.

“A series of unfortunate events and a very forgiving boss,” was Fenris’ cryptic answer. “I figured that now was better than never. Is there someone who could do this for us?”

Anders took a moment to think about it.

“Ah, Lirene’s busy helping the other clinic doctors until well into the evening, and Merrill’s started having morning sickness. She’s also a chemist, and Justice hates it when she does things she’s not supposed to like taking blood and stuff even though I think she has an actual nursing degree on top of the chemistry thing…”

“Anders,” Fenris cut him off, chuckling, “Is there anyone available or not? I mean, I’m picking up some early dinner for us and heading there regardless, but–”

“No, no, I just… couldn’t finish my thought,” Anders shushed him. “I’m sure Justice would do it for me if I asked.”

“Isn’t he the _chief of medicine_?”

“Well, yes,” Anders answered sheepishly, “but he likes me. He was basically my first friend here, way back when I was a lowly intern and he was running the clinic basically by himself. He’s been a good mentor and he’s a fantastic chief of medicine.”

Fenris huffed in what Anders assumed was interested surprise.

“You’ve never mentioned that before.”

“Never really came up,” Anders replied. “I’ll go ask him right now though since I was already heading that way anyway. Call me when you get here?”

“Of course,” Fenris agreed. “You want something in particular to eat?”

“It’s been a really long time since we’ve just broken down and eaten an entire pizza.”

“...ugh. Fine. But I’m not putting anchovies on it. Those things are awful. Fish in general are awful, but anchovies are like… fish abominations.” Anders burst out laughing and even snorted a little, drawing a few gazes as he walked down the halls to Justice’s office. “No need for them. I just want a plain old cheese with stuffed crust. Maybe some ham or sausage if you’re feeling frisky.”

“Got it. I’ll be there. Love you.”

“Love you too, dear,” Anders finished, ending the call as he was knocking on Justice’s door.

“Justice?” He called out. “It’s Anders.”

“Come in,” a deep voice replied from behind the door.

Anders opened it, revealing a stoic black man with closely shaven hair and beard sitting at his desk and wearing an impossibly clean and well pressed white coat. This was over an equally immaculate shirt and slack set that matched the piercing icy blue eyes that glanced up at Anders as he entered, though the slight smile he gave as he caught sight of Anders made him seem infinitely less imposing.

“Anders, what brings you here?” The man asked, very directly. At this, Anders paused in his striding across the space between the desk and the door to worry at his less immaculate coat.

“Ah, Justice, I was wondering if you could do some blood work for my husband and I? Normally I’d make a proper appointment, but with our schedules being as they are…”

“Of course I’ll do it,” Justice agreed, waving away his rambling with a single gesture. “I am not currently occupied by anything terribly pressing at the moment. Is he on his way then?” Anders nodded. “I don’t know how long he’ll be though. He said he wanted to bring me dinner and I asked for a pizza.”

One of Justice’s finely sculpted eyebrows rose. “I see. Do you think… he would mind if you shared some? It’s been awhile since I indulged in something so… deliciously unhealthy.” Anders snickered. “I don’t know about him, but I certainly wouldn’t. Goodness, how long has it been since you’ve had a slice?”

Justice shrugged, standing up from his desk and walking over to Anders, humming thoughtfully.

“Hmm. I have no idea. So, too long it seems. Shall we wait in your office? I would love to sit and have a proper conversation.”

“Of course!” Anders agreed, excited at the thought of speaking properly with his mentor and friend again. “Are you certain no one will need you?” Justice shook his head. “If they do, I have a pager _and_ a mobile phone. I am not unreachable. And if somehow both of those methods are unavailable for use, there is always the P.A. system.”

Anders chuckled a bit at Justice’s unusual brand of humor, nodded, and off they went.

He pulled his phone out and fiddled with it until he got to their conversation and he started typing to Fenris.

 **Anders** [4:53] Justice said he’d do it. He also wants some pizza.

The message went from “sent” to “seen” almost immediately and Fenris began typing. A few moments later…

 **Fenris** [4:54] In line right now. Does he like any particular toppings? Was going to get a second one anyway cause I know you like to eat. :P

Anders snorted quietly but glanced over at Justice.

“Hey, Fenris wants to know what toppings you like. What was it again? I remember it being something weird…” Justice gave him a skeptical side glance. “Pineapple and chicken are not weird. They are good choices in pizza toppings.”

“Uhh, ew.” Anders scowled, wrinkling his nose. “Well, to each his own, I guess.” He sighed, turning back to his phone.

 **Anders** [4:54] He wants (ugh) pineapple and chicken.

 **Anders** [4:55] You think you could get him maybe half a pizza?

 **Anders** [4:55] And keep the pineapple away from my sausage and ham plz, kthnx.

Fenris’ first response was just the generic laughter emoji, followed by:

 **Fenris** [4:56] Sure, sure. You big baby. It’s not like they’re gonna kill you, you know. I’ll do it though, cause I love you. See you soon.

Anders smiled at the thought of seeing Fenris and he stuffed the phone back into his pocket as they arrived at his office door.

They talked about all manner of things once settled inside, and Anders was glad for the quiet intimacy his little office gave them because he was pretty sure it had been Justice’s, once upon a time.

Of course, the conversation inevitably came around to the clinical trials and Anders’ participation in them.

“So that’s why you want me to take your blood samples?”

Anders nodded. “We haven’t been showing any of the more obvious symptoms yet, and even should that happen, we’d like some more concrete evidence. Currently available home pregnancy tests just don’t seem to be working very well for the men of the study for reasons we can’t yet explain.”

Justice nodded sagely in return. “So I heard. But you know, you would definitely have an answer to your question if you waited another month or two, should the treatment have worked.” He quirked a small smile when he finished, seemingly quite proud of himself.

Anders chuffed, feeling his cheeks flush. “Well, yes, I suppose so…”

In Anders’ coat pocket, his phone buzzed. He dug through it and glanced at the lock screen where his phone displayed his most recent text.

 **Fenris** [5:47] Sorry I took so long. I’m here.

Anders glanced up at Justice, who was studying him curiously, one eyebrow raised. “Is that Fenris?” Anders got up, nodding. “Should we wait to eat, or…?”

Justice considered it for a moment. “Generally, the rule about not eating is for physicals, Anders. However, if I remember correctly, it is actually better to eat before a blood test for pregnancy.” Anders nodded. “Alright then. I’ll be right back with the food! And Fenris, of course.”

The two heard a knock at the door and Anders jumped a little.

Bewildered, he walked over to it and opened it gingerly, peering around the door to see who it was.

“Fenris?”

Fenris was standing on the other side holding two boxes of pizza in one hand and a plastic bag with what looked like soda in the other, a visitor’s badge pinned to his cardigan. His husband merely held up the food by way of an answer.

“Are you going to let me in?”

Anders opened the door and Fenris walked in, setting the pizza down on the small table Anders’ two tiny couches were gathered around.

“Hello Justice,” Fenris greeted his mentor, reaching towards the other man to offer a handshake, “It is good to see you are well.”

Justice inclined his head in acknowledgement as he accepted the handshake. Their grips appeared to be equal in firmness. “Hello Fenris,” Justice greeted in return. “It is good to see you brought the food that was promised. Did you manage to acquire the chicken and pineapple?”

Fenris opened one of the boxes to reveal a pizza half covered in the offending toppings with the other half left plain.

“The other is a meat lover’s for the pineapple hating carnivore over there,” Fenris idly joked as he rummaged through Anders’ things and found a small stack of paper plates stashed in a file drawer.

“I don’t _hate_ them,” Anders countered, perhaps a touch more defensively than he’d intended. “I just don’t believe they should be on pizza. Also, how did you get in?”

“Everyone is a critic,” Justice mused as he bit into a piece of the pineapple and chicken.

Fenris, on the other hand, just shrugged. “Lirene let me in and gave me a visitor’s pass when I told her I was bringing you dinner.” Anders merely sighed, shook his head, and sat down next to his husband to dig into his own pizza and lose himself in the food and present company.

Justice took their blood and promised them he would see what he could do about getting the results back as quickly as possible.

“You don’t have to do that,” Anders insisted. “Besides, it’s not like you can speed up the tests themselves. That’s what takes the longest.” Justice chuckled and shrugged. “Well, I hope the sentiment was appreciated at the very least. It would be an abuse of my power as chief of medicine anyway, I suppose, and that won’t do.”

Anders smiled and told him that they still appreciated the gesture, once again thanking the man for doing this for them.

Fenris went home afterwards, taking the rest of the plain pizza slices with him, while Anders remained at the hospital for a little while longer before heading home to join his husband. By the time he got back, it was getting to be pretty late, and he was awfully tired. He decided to forgo his reading for the night and get dressed for bed, slipping into a more comfortable t-shirt and boxers.

That was when he could hear distant shuffling from the direction of the kitchen, and he frowned. Surely that must be Fenris, but the man usually avoided the kitchen like the plague. Anders quietly shuffled to the kitchen’s open door and poked his head around.

“Fenris?”

The elf in question, who was himself wearing nothing but his favorite black robe and red boxers, was pouring himself a glass of what looked like ginger ale. His head whipped around at Anders’ voice, ears twitching slightly.

“Oh! Anders, I–I didn’t realize you were home.” He frowned, appearing rather concerned with his lack of awareness, but Anders approached him and pulled him into an embrace.

“Hey, hey, it’s alright,” he soothed. “I do it all the time, if you recall.” He grinned, gently nuzzling Fenris’ nose with his. “Don’t lose sleep over it, okay?” He pulled back and studied Fenris’ face.

“You look awful, you know. Are you alright?” He felt the elf’s forehead for a fever. “You aren’t running a fever…”

Fenris huffed tiredly and waved his hand away.

“I’m fine, Anders. I’ve just had a bit of a long, exhausting day and everything just… aches.” Anders frowned. “I… could give you a massage? Just a quick one, for your shoulders. I mean, if you want it.”

Fenris hummed appreciatively. “Oh, that sounds delightful. Please, go ahead.”

Anders chuckled and turned Fenris around to give the elf’s shoulder blades a pretty thorough, if quick, massage that had his husband melting at his touch and purring up a storm. He still worried a bit as he did this, knowing that Fenris’ evening drink of choice was normally a glass of wine instead of ginger ale, but it could just be that Fenris was not in the mood for wine. In his own experience, it did not always go well with pizza, so he couldn’t blame Fenris for changing up his routine for the night.

“You good now?” he asked, and when Fenris nodded, he stepped back. “Are you sure?” he asked again, just to be certain.

“My shoulders thank you,” was all the elf said in reply, which was really as good as Anders was going to get, he supposed. He was just about to turn back and head for bed, but Fenris stopped him a second time by handing him a… book?

“Hey, what’s this doing here?” Anders asked, taking a weathered photo album out of Fenris’ hands. Anders leafed through it and found that it was from his time in the Wardens, filled with photos of his mates in the Vigil’s Regiment. Fenris shrugged.

“I’m not sure. I think you were showing it to me the other day for something, but I forget what it was exactly. I figured you’d want to put it back though, before you accidentally stained it or something.” Anders laughed. “You got that right. There’s a lot of good memories in here. I’ll go put it back in our storage room and then I’ll be headed to bed myself. I also had a long, exhaustive day and I want to do is _sleep_.”

“I hear that,” Fenris agreed, grabbing his glass of cider. “I’ll see you in bed?”

Fenris’ attempt at waggling eyebrows did not go as well as he seemed to think it did, which made Anders snicker. “Don’t–don’t do that with your eyebrows please. It doesn’t work for you.”

“Yet,” Fenris insisted. “I’m going to keep practicing.”

“I would recommend doing that in front of a mirror,” Anders snorted. “Alright, I’m gonna go put this away now.” Fenris just rolled his eyes and followed Anders out of the kitchen after downing his glass of ale, though he stopped when he’d gone a few steps from the door. Anders stopped again, concerned when something in Fenris’ face and posture triggered something in the back of his mind.

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

This time, it took Fenris a little while longer than before to answer him, and while he still insisted he was fine, Fenris looked a little paler than usual and had and arm wrapped tightly around his middle.

“Pizza not agree with you?”

Fenris grumbled. “Maybe. Or it could still be the breakfast burrito I had for lunch. My stomach’s been bothering my every once in awhile since I ate it.”

Anders blinked at him, stunned.

“The… burrito I made you this morning before I left?”

“...mm–yes.”

Anders chuffed. “I mean, that could be it, especially if you ate it for _lunch_.”

Fenris chuckled, and seemed to gain his bearings again. “I probably just need to sleep it off. I’ll be fine.” Fenris gave him a quick wink and a nod, heading back to their bedroom.

Anders just shook his head and sighed, heading down the hall. He turned the knob on the door furthest down the hall and entered a mostly unused room full of Anders’ old college things, furniture from Fenris’ last house, various wedding gifts that they’d still yet to open for fear of what they might discover within.

There was also a dresser and a set of bunk beds that he and a few buddies from college (mostly Hawke and his brother Carver) had somehow smuggled out of their dorm room while drunk. This had apparently been when the communal kitchen had been accidentally set on fire by someone trying to make waffles in the oven at 3 in the morning, though Anders remembered absolutely none of the whole thing.

He still didn’t quite know how he’d ended with it, or even how no one had ever figured out it had gone missing, but regardless it was useful to have around on the rare occasion he and Fenris had guests. There was even a bathroom attached to it that was also connected to the hallway outside.

Anders found the shelf where he kept some of the souvenirs from his Warden days and gently placed the photo album back in its place. Then he turned around to survey the room, stroking his chin.

“This would make for a decent nursery,” he mused. “If we could just get all this junk into storage…”

He shrugged, and upon realizing that nature had come calling (probably from all of that soda he’d had earlier), he decided to use the bathroom that was closest. He flipped on the light and frowned a little at the green tile lining the walls. He hadn’t remembered choosing that color… it reminded him a little too much of the shade Merrill had gone earlier in the day before she’d been sick.

That seemed to summon a similar feeling in his own gut after he’d finished up, and he stood there, massaging his stomach a bit to see if that would help.

The feeling faded, but Anders could hear the distant sounds of… throwing up?

_Shit._

Anders bolted through the hallway door and made a beeline for their bathroom. He skidded to a halt on the bathroom tiles when he caught sight of Fenris, clinging to the toilet bowl and groaning as he reached up to flush.

“Fenris!” Anders hissed, rushing over to him.

“Alright, so I was maybe not fine…” Fenris groaned. “Ugh. Despite that… I feel somewhat better. Need sleep though.”

“And some fluids,” Anders muttered. “You want more ginger ale from the kitchen?”

Fenris nodded and he went to fetch it immediately, though a thought occurred to him as he was walking back to the bathroom. “Hey, Fenris?” he asked as he was handing Fenris the glass. Fenris, who was perched on the edge of the toilet seat, raised a single eyebrow and grunted in acknowledgement.

“Um, you said earlier that you’ve been feeling kind of queasy all day… is this why you wanted to have our blood work done?”

Fenris paused in his drinking, swallowed, and then nodded slightly.

“I mean, it could still just be my poor decision making and maybe this really is just all that stupid burrito’s fault, especially knowing our luck. I didn’t want to mention it and get your hopes up in case it turned out to be nothing, and it was good just to get the blood work out of the way.” He paused again and glanced up at Anders. “How long until we know, though?”

“It can take anywhere from three hours to two days,” Anders answered seriously, “but we have a lot of people in the trials to get through and paperwork to do, calls to make, etc. That can slow things down sometimes, especially if people asked for the results to be mailed to them instead of receiving a call. Justice will absolutely let me know as soon as the tests are done, though, so there’s that.”

He offered Fenris a weak smile. “You ready to go to bed?”

“Absolutely, yes.”

Anders nodded and he helped Fenris into bed first before going back and brushing his teeth. He turned out the light and climbed into bed with his husband, though not before first putting his bedside table’s trash can nearby… just in case.

Fenris had apparently as exhausted as he said he was, because the elf was well on his way into a deep sleep by the time Anders got settled. He cuddled Fenris and pulled him into his arms, Fenris’ body reflexively moving into a more convenient position.

 _Two days_ , Anders thought. Two days at the most, and then they’d know.

As he drifted to sleep, his last thought was of how the time could not pass fast enough.

* * *

 

Two days later, Fenris was curled up on the small sofa in the bedroom, dressed in another of his favorite cardigans. When he heard the garage door open, his ears twitched and he immediately set down his book to investigate.

Anders came ‘round the corner, clutching some envelopes in one hand and an anxious look on his face.

“Are those…?” Fenris asked, unable to finish the question. Anders nodded.

“Yeah, the results. Lemme just put my stuff down first and then… we can open them. I suppose I could’ve opened them when I first got them, but I wanted to do it together.”

Fenris’ lips reflexively twitched into a small smile as he followed Anders back into the bedroom. Anders set the envelopes on the dresser while he slipped into some more comfortable clothes, and Fenris waited patiently as he watched Anders move around. He stared at Anders as he moved, squinting to see if there was any change he could see even though he knew that it was too early to tell.

His heart began to beat faster once Anders picked up the envelopes and handed him his; tongue instantly going dry.

“Alright, it’s now or never,” Anders muttered, and Fenris nodded.

They didn’t even bother to count, they just tore into the envelopes as quickly as possible. Fenris’ eyes scanned the letter for words that made sense until…

His heart flipped as his stomach churned in a familiar way as he read it over, then reread it. He glanced up at Anders, whose eyes were filled with tears. That made him forget for just a moment what he’d just read and he put the letter aside to grasp Anders’ shoulders.

“What? What is it? Are you not…?”

“I’m pregnant,” Anders interrupted him, his words a breathless near whisper. “I’m… I’m pregnant Fen,” he repeated, louder and with more confidence. He chuckled, lips stretching into a wide, gleeful grin.

“We’re pregnant, Fenris,” Anders said, laughing through his tears.

“We… certainly are,” Fenris agreed, suddenly remembering his own letter.

Anders’ laughter stopped. “...what?” He blinked at Fenris owlishly.

“We’re both pregnant,” Fenris clarified, and he was only just able to hear Anders’ slight gasp. “Oh, oh Fen,” Anders sniffed, tearing up again. “Oh, that’s… that’s wonderful!” Anders hugged him tightly and Fenris held tightly onto Anders in return. Anders pulled away however with a concerned look on his face as he studied Fenris.

“Are you… alright? We… we knew that this was a possibility…”

Fenris’ gut churned again, and he bolted for the bathroom. He could hear Anders swiftly following him in, kneeling next to him and rubbing his back, gently.

“Well… I guess now we know that it’s not my breakfast burritos, don’t we?” Anders joked, and Fenris groaned as he pulled away from the toilet bowl and flushing it all at once. “I suppose we do,” Fenris agreed.

“So you’re alright with this?” Anders asked again, and Fenris nodded,

“Yes, I… yes. I knew that it was a possibility when we both signed up for this. I just…”

“Didn’t expect it?” Anders finished. Fenris nodded again. “Yeah. It’ll… take some time to get used to the idea, I guess. But I promise, I’m with you.”

“Aw, that’s so sweet,” Anders cooed, leaning in, but pausing after a moment’s thought. “You know maybe I shouldn’t…”

“I would not,” Fenris agreed. “Unless you want a vomit kiss, then by all means…”

“Ugh, ew. No. No thanks. I’m… gonna get you a some ginger ale instead. Or a breath mint. Or both.”

Fenris chuckled as Anders left him to once again recover while perched on the edge of the toilet seat. Fenris took one glance around the bathroom and sighed, resigned to the thought that he’d probably be spending a lot of time in here in the coming months, so perhaps it might be a good idea to finally invest in some better magazines for the rack, or a book about parenting for dummies. Actually, now that he thought about it, they were going to need that book… and so much more.

Well. One thing at a time.

Anders came back into the bathroom with the ginger ale, which Fenris thanked him for. They went back into the bedroom to sit on the small sofa and contemplate their future, and while curled up against Anders, this thing that lay ahead of the did not seem like such a daunting task.

It was definitely still terrifying, knowing that they would be responsible for two little lives in about eight months, but… at least they had each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A truth about my mother: she's really a fan of pineapple and chicken on pizza. My dad is more of the sort who adheres to the "No Fs" policy of no fish, fruit, or fungus, and in his case, fowl. I mostly agree with my dad, though I don't mind the chicken. It's the pineapple I take umbrage with. I have no problem with anyone who likes it one their pizza, but for me? No thank you. I'm good with plain cheese or meat lover's thanks.
> 
> Also, yes, these chapters are getting longer for some reason. I think now that they know, I can just go all out with bits of angst and a lot of fluff. The world of my oyster now with these two. I can't wait. :D


	4. Firstfall (3rd Month)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which not much really happens, but good news is spread to the right people and all is well. :D

Fenris was working on finishing another report when the doors to the precinct offices opened and Isabela trudged in. He glanced up, and upon noticing that she hadn’t entered with her usual swagger, caught her gaze and quirked a single eyebrow in question.

Isabela merely groaned as she plopped into her chair at the desk next to his by way of an answer. “Ugh, this pregnancy thing blows just about as much as I thought it would,” she sighed. “I’m always aching or queasy or getting swelling in my ankles. That last one’s the worst though because I have to buy new boots!”

“The sickness should likely pass within another week or two,” Fenris replied distractedly as he resumed his typing. “Or at least that’s what Anders tells me.” Isabela huffed and sat up a little, hugging herself gingerly.

“I just want to be able to eat a proper meal again and for my breasts not to ache like they’re about to fall off,” she complained.

“That _would_ be quite the sight though, you have to admit,” he joked wryly, managing to earn a slight smirk and a snicker out of his partner. “Yeah it would. Gee Fen, you sure know how to cheer a girl up.” His lips quirked a smile at that, and she chuckled. “So, how’s the pregnant life been treating you two? Hittin’ you pretty hard?”

Fenris scoffed. “In the beginning it did. It’s eased out a bit for the moment, though now it’s Anders who’s been struggling with keeping his meals down recently.” He shrugged. “I can keep most meals down now, though some smells still make me queasy.” Fenris paused his typing to glance at Isabela.

“Have you told anyone about it, other than the captain, or some of our coworkers?”

Isabela grumbled and slumped in her chair again.

“I don’t really have anyone I’d want to tell. My mother and I don’t talk, and dear old Dad was out of the picture before I was even born.” She shrugged. “Kitten wants to tell her family, but she’s afraid to reach out to them or something. Apparently they wanted her to go into the family business instead of becoming a chemist and she hasn’t talked to them in a while… I still think she should talk to them because they’re not like, estranged like my mother and I are. What about you? Or… wait. Your family life is all kinds of complicated too, isn’t it?”

Fenris nodded, reaching for his coffee and taking a deep drink of it.

“Yes. I do not have many people I would wish to tell either. My adoptive father and sister are abhorrent monsters that I wouldn’t let within even thirty miles of my children, nevermind thirty feet. I have told my actual sister, Varania, and she seems quite excited about the whole affair. Told me she’ll be down for a visit in early Wintermarch.”

“And she’s not curious about how it happened?”

“Isa. The clinical trials are public knowledge. She has a pretty good idea, I’m sure.”

Isabela hummed, yawning as she stretched back into a more comfortable sitting position. “So your sister’s cool with it at least. Doesn’t Anders have some actual relatives between you though?” Fenris nodded.

“His parents, yes. He’s still on the fence about telling them, because like Merrill, he hasn’t really talked with them much in recent years, at least since his father shipped him off to boarding school when he was a kid.”

“Ouch. I know he’s still cool with his mother though right?”

“He wants to tell her, but he’s afraid of what his father will think.” Fenris replied. Isabela scoffed. “Tell him to stuff that. Your babies should have at least one set of grandparents, since you know, you’ve still got a set that will give a damn.”

Fenris quirked another smile.

“I’ll tell him you said that. It might actually convince him.”

He turned back to the computer screen and frowned as he stared at the words. “ _Venhedis_. I forget what my train of thought was with this.” He stood up and began pacing, feeling Isabela’s eyes on him as he walked. Eventually his previous arguments came back to him, but he paused when he noticed Isabela tilting her head and studying him with apparent curiosity.

“What?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “Is there something on my face?”

“No,” she replied idly, waving a carefully manicured finger in his direction. “But I think you’re starting to show a little… unless you’ve suddenly quit with the body building in the last couple months.” She grinned at him and his hands immediately went to his stomach.

“But Anders said…” Fenris shook his head in slight disbelief as he slowly sat in his chair.

Isabela shrugged. “I think elves in general just show earlier. Merrill’s got a cute little bump too. Does Anders have one yet? He’s no elf, but he is a bit on the skinny side…”

Fenris’ fingers pressed gently against his belly through his thin polo and found that the firmness there was even more apparent while sitting. He briefly wondered why he hadn’t noticed before now as he sighed, grumbling.

“Now I’m never going to finish this report, I’ll be so distracted.”

“I could finish it,” Isabela offered, earning a derisive snort from Fenris.

“And risk our jobs? Not a chance.”

Isabela’s chair creaked and he turned to look at her. She greeted him with her chin propped up on one hand while she pouted and batted her eyelashes.

“Oh come on, Fenris,” she cooed, “I promise I’ll use spell-check.”

“It’s not spell check I’m worried about,” Fenris deadpanned. “I’ll just do it later.”

“Ugh, fine,” Isabela conceded, snickering. “You have to promise to tell me when Anders starts showing though. I bet he’s gonna have the cutest little bump…”

“Hey, he’s my husband, not yours,” Fenris warned, grinning. Isabela returned his grin with one of her own. “Yeah, yeah. I’ve got a wife anyhow. Your husband is safe from me, I promise.”

Fenris merely sighed again and instead of resuming his typing, began to pack up for the day.

* * *

 

Anders grumbled as he struggled to button up his pants.

“What? Already?” he sighed as he finally managed it, though the material was definitely getting to be a touch too snug around the waist. He knew that he might start showing early because he was so skinny, but this was ridiculous! At this rate, he’d have to go shopping for new pants soon.

“At least Fen and I will likely need to go shopping together,” he muttered to himself as he stroked his belly lightly. Curious, he undid the clasps of his green coat and held a hand against it, pressing gently with his fingers. The skin was smooth but for the sparse little happy trail he sported, and when he pressed there was a little give before his gut gave a slight twinge.

He winced as he felt a slight burning in the back of his throat.

 _Not this again_ , he mentally groaned.

Despite his misgivings with throwing up, Anders dropped to his knees and clung to the porcelain bowl tightly, suddenly very glad his hair was still tied back in its usual ponytail. When he felt he was finished, he pulled on the flush lever and sat back, cross legged and groaning.

“Alright, I won’t do that again. Sorry love,” he muttered, rubbing his stomach gingerly.

He stood and walked to the sink to draw a glass of water, gulping it down eagerly before he heard a familiar popping sound from behind him, followed by something metal pinging around inside the shower and clattering to the floor.

“Shit,” he swore, setting down his glass and turning back around to investigate.

He opened the door to the shower and was immediately greeted by an arching spray of water coming from… spout? Either way, it wasn't a _good_ thing.

Scowling, he paced the bathroom as he tried to reach Fenris on his cell.

“Anders?” Fenris’ voice piped through the speakers, soothing his nerves a bit. “What is it? Are you alright? You don’t usually call me this early in the afternoon…”

Anders chuckled softly, glad for his husband’s concern.

“I’m perfectly fine. The shower on the other hand…” Anders glanced back and swore again when he noted that some of the water was beginning to escape the shower and pool on the tile floor, soaking the rug. “Fuck, shit. I–that thing in the shower seems to have broken again and I don’t know how to fix it.”

He sniffed, not understanding why he had the sudden urge to cry over the whole scenario. It wasn’t like this was the first time this had happened.

“I’ll be there soon, alright?” Fenris assured him. “I was already on my way home when you called. Just close the shower door and that’ll keep it from soaking the rug. I’ll fix the shower once I get there and then we’ll order in and cuddle in the den and watch a romcom or something. Patience, love. I’m on my way.”

Fenris ended the call before Anders could reply back, which annoyed him a little before he remembered that Fenris was probably driving just then. He didn’t have the same bluetooth technology that Anders’ car did, being one of the precinct’s beat up squad cars.

Anders sighed, about to turn around and close the shower door before his phone went off and he answered it without looking at the ID.

“What?” he snapped.

“Anders!” a woman’s voice chastised him from the other side of the line. “That’s no way to talk to your mother now, is it?”

Anders closed the shower door and saw his shocked expression reflected in the glass.

“Mama! I’m so sorry!” he immediately apologized, putting the problem with the shower out of his head as he picked up his glass of water and went back into the bedroom. He took off his shoes and curled up on the bed, leaning against the headboard and supported by their many pillows.

“I didn’t look before I answered,” he tried to explain, though he knew it was only an excuse. “I should have and I’m sorry.”

His mother chuckled sweetly. “It’s alright dear. I thought to check up on you since it’s been awhile since we talked. You sound stressed. Are you alright? Is your job at the clinic getting too to be too much for you?” Anders chuffed.

“I’m fine Mama, better than fine. And I love the clinic. If Justice didn’t think I couldn’t handle running the department, then he wouldn’t have given me the job. In fact, um…”

He bit his lip. Should he tell her?

“...have you heard about the new trials that we’re running?”

There was a gasp and a little giggle on his mother’s end. “Oh yes! I was calling about that too. I heard about it and thought of you and your husband. It must be exciting, running a trial that might help you start a family someday.”

Anders was quiet for a moment. He took a deep breath. It was now or never, he supposed.

“Actually, um. I have something I need to tell you about that.”

“Oh? Are the trials not working as expected?”

Anders chuckled sheepishly. “Actually, they’re working better than expected, though with a few hiccups here and there. But, uh… that’s not what I wanted to tell you. Um.” He paused to clear his throat and take another deep breath.

“Hospital staff with same sex partners were actually encouraged to take part in the trials if they wished to,” he began slowly, gaining momentum as he went. “And I brought it up to Fenris just before the trials were about to start and we… I mean he… he said yes. So we both did it and a few weeks back our blood work came in and… um.”

He couldn’t seem to finish the sentence, and the following silence weighed heavily on him.

“Mama?” he asked, hoping she hadn’t hung up.

“ _HANS!_ ” He heard his mother shout, startling him a bit and making him clutch at his chest.

“Hans! We’re going to be grandparents!” Distantly he heard someone grumble something in the background as his mother chattered away. A voice cleared, and Anders’ heart sped up when he heard an entirely different voice on the other end.

“Son?”

Anders’ breath left him in a rush.

“Father.”

His father sighed. “Son,” he repeated. “Your mother tells me that you’re participating in that clinical trial we’ve been hearing so much about.”

“Running, participating…” Anders shrugged, even though his father couldn’t see him. “But yes, I am.” His father grunted. “Are you allowed to do that? Is it even safe?”

“It is perfectly safe, as long as I monitor my stress levels and continue to have my regular psych evaluations when I’m scheduled. Also Justice, my mentor and the hospital’s chief of medicine, would’ve advised me against it if he thought I couldn’t handle it.”

The familiar sound of a door slamming closed signaled Fenris’ arrival, but Anders decided he couldn’t spare the time to greet his husband for the moment. This was the most he’d spoken to his father in years, and they were being _cordial_ with one another. He figured he shouldn’t waste the opportunity now that it had presented itself.

“I see,” his father replied, if a bit stiltedly. Then he continued in a quieter, more hesitant tone of voice, “And is what your mother says… true?”

Anders swallowed, exhaling nervously as Fenris walked into the bedroom. He held up a finger to him as he took a deep breath once more.

“Yes, Da. Fenris and I are pregnant. _Both_ of us. We weren’t sure… given our family histories with fertility that… that it would work for either of us.” His father chuckled, almost sheepishly. “Well, good on you, not putting your eggs in one basket.”

Anders resisted the urge to groan. “Da. Was that a pun? Please tell me that wasn’t a pun.”

Snort. “It is now, son.”

Anders did not resist the urge to groan this time. Fenris, seemingly having put two and two together and at last satisfied that the conversation was going well, put his things down in their usual place. Then he walked over to press a kiss to Anders’ temple and sauntered off to go fix the leak in the shower.

“Daaaa,” Anders whined, “Enough. I don’t remember you being so bad about puns.”

His father huffed, grumbling. “I… missed out on a lot of things by being such a shitty parent. I thought I should try to rectify that.”

Anders was quiet for a moment before the urge to cry from earlier returned and he sniffed.

“Da…” He sighed. “I was a shitty son. I said… things. I mean, I won’t deny that I hated you for a very long time because that boarding school was the void incarnate. Karl helped make it alright for awhile, before he won a scholarship to a fancy charter school…” He sniffed again, shaking his head as tears began to form in his eyes. He cleared his throat again.

“Anyway, um. Yeah. I hated you, but I was a right prick that deserved it, and… I’m sorry. Fenris’ family life… was like ten times worse than mine ever was, and I figure these kids should have at least one set of grandparents around.” He sighed again, wiping at his eyes this time.

“I mean… if you want to be around, that is,” he finished.

“Your mother might kill me if we weren’t,” his father said, chuckling. “And speaking of your mother, I should probably give her back her phone.” There was a pause, and then his father added, very quietly, “I’m sorry too, son. I love you.”

“I… I love you too, Da,” Anders echoed, sobbing a little. Stupid hormones.

Tears trailed his cheeks as he waited for his father to hand the phone back to his mother. He hadn’t expected to… feel so much from such a short conversation.

“Hey sweetheart,” his mother’s voice greeted him. “Your talk with your father seemed to go well.”

“Yeah,” Anders agreed. “It did. I was… really surprised, and I…” A sob escaped him. “Fff-knickerweasels, I can’t stop crying now.” He wiped at his eyes again, sniffling. “Ah, sorry. It’s these… blasted mood swings.”

His mother chuckled. “I remember those. So… how far along are you?”

Another sniff, and he cleared his throat. “Almost three months? My pants are starting to get tight now.” He smiled, chuckling. “Fenris has this cute little bump when he sits. I don’t know if he knows, though.”

“I do _now_ ,” Fenris grumbled as he walked back into the bedroom. “Isabela pointed it out to me today and I was so distracted about it I couldn’t work…”

Anders snickered.

“Is that Fenris I hear?” she asked. “Put him on, I want to talk to him.”

Anders held out the phone to Fenris as the elf was pulling on some sweats and a cardigan. “My mother wants to talk to you,” he explained. Fenris shrugged and took it as he settled on the bed next to Anders, who cuddled against his chest. The clean, crisp scent of his husband seemed to ease his frayed nerves and soothed his desire to sob uncontrollably.

It soothed him so much that before he knew it, he was asleep.

* * *

 

“Yes, Mrs. Skovsgaard?”

Fenris held Anders close to him as he pressed the phone to his ear. He disliked being so formal with Anders’ mother, but he would be nothing if not polite to his in-laws. He knew they liked him and he wanted them to continue to like him.

But of course, Anders’ mother was _Anders’_ mother.

“Don’t be so formal, dear,” she teased, laughing. “Call me Brigitta, please.”

“Brigitta it is,” Fenris grumbled good-naturedly. “How are you?”

On the other end of the line, Brigitta giggled. “So considerate. Now I remember why my son was so taken with you when you first met.” Fenris snorted. “It was probably the most apparent at our first meeting when he greeted me at his door wearing only a pair of boxers,” he replied, chuckling. Anders grumbled something in protest, but seemed too comfortable where he was to bother with anything more than that.

Brigitta gasped. “He did not.”

Fenris snickered. “He did. Don’t be too mad at him though; that was part of the reason I kept coming back,” he continued, laughing. Brigitta chuckled. “Well, if it led to you being his husband, I suppose I’m alright with that.”

“It’ll be a good story to tell our kids. _How did you and daddy meet?_ Well kids, I noticed that someone new had moved into the house next door and I had decided out of the blue to introduce myself…”

“Speaking of kids,” Brigitta cut in, still chuckling, “how are _you_? Anders told me about your little bundles of joy that are on the way. Mood swings and morning sickness getting you down?”

Fenris shrugged on impulse before he remembered she couldn’t see him.

“Not as much anymore. Anders is struggling with them more right now, though some smells do still make me queasy if I stick around them for long enough.” He paused, thinking back to his conversation with Isabela. “I suppose you’ll be wanting to visit at some point? My sister is coming around the beginning of Wintermarch or so.”

“Oh we absolutely have to visit! I’m not letting you and my son off the hook that easily. Someone has to throw you two a baby shower anyhow and I doubt either of you have time, what with how busy your work lives must be. Say, you aren’t going to be doing anything too dangerous now are you? Nothing that will endanger the baby?”

“Of course not,” Fenris assured her. “No domestic violence calls or murder investigations for me for a while. The captain has been very understanding and accommodating. I think she’s actually glad that I’m so willing to be regulated to desk duty.” He snorted.

“It means fewer reports get to her desk that have been touched by Isabela, at least. I didn’t get as much work done today however, since someone pointed out I was starting to show…”

“Oh I heard,” Brigitta cooed. “My son tells me you have the cutest little bump now.”

Fenris groaned. “Of course he did.”

“Is he still around? I had been hoping to tease him some more…”

“Actually,” Fenris replied, glancing down at his husband, “he appears to have fallen asleep on my chest.” He glanced up when Pounce’s little orange head poked over the edge of the bed before he jumped up and started chirping at him. Loudly.

“There is however, a cat who would happily talk your ears off if you let him,” he told her as he pulled the cat into his lap, where the little beast curled into a ball and started purring up a storm.

Brigitta giggled. “Aww. I heard that. Well, I won’t have you wake him then. You must be tired after such a long day… I remember napping a lot during those first few months.” Fenris nodded, yawning. “Yeah, a nap sounds really good right about now.”

“I’ll let you go then and I’ll definitely call again so we can arrange a couple weeks to stay over during the holidays. Give Anders my love, sweetheart.”

“I will. I’m glad he worked up the courage to tell you about this by the way; I was about dead set on convincing him to do it before I got home today.” Brigitta sighed happily. “I’m glad too. You two are going to be such wonderful parents.” She paused, and Fenris heard someone mumbling something in the background.

“Ah. Hans sends his love as well to you both. Have a good nap, dear. Love you!”

Fenris felt his face flush and his breath catch in his throat at her words. He found he couldn’t bring himself to reply back as the call ended, though the sentiment wasn’t unwelcome. It was merely… surprising. It had been a long time since he’d heard his own mother’s voice tell him that she loved him, and the thought made his chest ache a little. However, the warm weight of the cat in his lap and his husband snoring quietly on his chest lessened that ache considerably, and he was able to breathe easy even at the thought of his late mother.

Brigitta’s words made him smile as he set the phone down and pulled up the covers as far as his reach and Pounce would allow, and he settled down to rest for a little while, closing his eyes. He fell asleep warm and content, at ease in knowing his children would have grandparents who cared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, I don't really have a reasoning behind Anders' parents names. Hans is short for Johanns though, in case anyone was wondering. Anders' mom is absolutely going to coddle Fenris though. She seems the type to do that because the poor dear needs someone to mother him from time to time. :)


	5. Haring (4th Month)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which we learn the sex of the babies, first movements happen, and there is much ado about cravings.

Anders lay on the examination table, shirt rucked up to expose the gentle swell of his belly.

At just over sixteen weeks, the little bump was quite noticeable now if some knew to look for it. Currently it was being covered in gel by Lirene as Justice was getting the ultrasound machine up and ready, and he shivered a little.

“Wow, that’s really cold,” he pointed out, chuckling. Lirene just smirked at him before she looked over at where Justice was sitting. “You ready, sir?” she asked. Justice nodded.

“Well, give me a moment to go fetch Fenris,” she replied, ducking out of the room. Anders glanced over at Justice. “You really want to do this?” Anders asked, his breath coming out in an amused little huff. “Lirene would’ve been happy to do this on her own. It’s her job to, really.”

Justice’s lips merely quirked up in a soft smile. “I wish to be a part of the lives of your children. I saw no better way than this, really.” Anders sighed, shaking his head. He was still grinning a little though as he replied with, “Justice, you could always just be their godparent. I’m sure Fenris wouldn’t mind it if you were.”

“What would I not mind?” came Fenris’ voice as he entered the room. Lirene stood at the door, waiting patiently.

“For Justice to be godparent to our children,” Anders answered, squirming a bit as Justice moved around and smeared some more gel over his belly. “He thinks that giving us our checkups is the only way to be involved in our children’s lives…”

Justice moved the monitors so that Anders and Fenris could see the screens. “Well, at the moment, it’s really the only way _to_ be involved,” he muttered, nodding to Lirene. “I can take it from here. Thank you for your assistance, Miss Clemens.” Lirene nodded her head and closed the door behind her as Justice held up the ultrasound wand over Anders’ belly.

“Well then, shall we get this started?” Justice asked, and both of them nodded.

Justice gently pressed the wand against the gel, smearing it around to get a clearer picture. He stared at the screen intently until his brows lifted and he exclaimed in excitement, gesturing at a spot on the monitor.

“There’s our little one! Do you want to see if we can determine the sex today? It was being difficult the last time we tried, if I recall.” Anders glanced at Fenris, who nodded. “I would like to know about my own as well,” Fenris admitted. “I know I’m not scheduled, but…” Justice made a dismissive noise in the back of his throat as he gently pressed a little harder to see if the baby was cooperating with them today.

“Nonsense. I can get you as well, since you’re here. I know it’s not often you’re able to get away from work this easily.”

Fenris shrugged, though Anders doubted Justice noticed, so focused was he on the ultrasound.

“Captain Vallen has been mostly supportive about this whole thing, actually,” Fenris replied, soundly mildly surprised. “As long as I get the work she assigns me done on time, I don’t have to be at the precinct office as often if I’m not feeling up to being there.” Anders snorted. “You often worked from home before, so this just gives you an excuse to stay home and tinker with your laptop,” he teased, and Fenris rolled his eyes at him.

“Well, that’s good, I suppose,” Justice murmured distractedly. “Now let’s see… ah!” He grinned, turning back to the both of them and gesturing at a general area of the screen where the baby was displayed. “Looks like this one’s a little girl!”

“Not a boy?” Fenris asked, a touch disappointed. Anders noticed, but was absolutely over the moon about it. “No, definitely a girl. Looks to be missing some critical equipment there for a boy.” He felt the grin on his face and was still elated about the news even as Justice wiped him off and motioned for Fenris to switch places with him.

“Don’t be too disappointed,” Justice chuckled. “You could still be having a boy yourself.”

And after a few moments of gel rubbing and searching with the wand, Justice was able to indeed confirm that Fenris was carrying a little boy.

When Anders looked over at him, Fenris seemed a little starstruck. He gently grasped Fenris’ arm while Justice was cleaning him up. “A boy _and_ a girl, Fen!” He whispered. “I can’t wait to tell Mama. She’ll start planning that baby shower the instant we do.” Anders moved his hand down to grasp Fenris’ hand, squeezing gently.

“You alright?”

Fenris finally nodded, taking in a few slow, deep breaths.

“Yeah. I just… didn’t expect to be so emotional about it,” the elf admitted. Anders hummed in acknowledgement, bending down to nuzzle his nose against Fenris’. “We’re pregnant, love. Our emotions are gonna be all over the place for a while. It’s alright to be a little emotional about things. Especially things like this.”

Fenris caught his lips in a quick kiss. “I know. Thank you for the reassurance.”

Anders glanced up when he heard Justice’s rumbling chuckle from across the room as he was putting the ultrasound and all of the monitors back in place.

“You two are very cute,” Justice said matter-of-factly. Anders snorted. “I’m glad you think so.”

A loud gurgle filled the space between them and Anders glanced down at himself. Had that been him? Surely, he would have noticed. Then Fenris attempted to cover the blush on his cheeks with his hands, eyes wide with mortification.

“Hungry?” Anders asked with a cheeky grin. Fenris’ hands fell to reveal a scowl aimed in his direction. He still nodded, however. “My lunch was very light, as I was in a hurry to make it here before you were scheduled for the ultrasound. Could we, perhaps… just pick up dinner on the way home? I’m… craving pizza.”

Anders helped Fenris to his feet and nodded at Justice when the chief of medicine looked up to meet his gaze. “I can pull a Fenris and finish all of my filing at home if you don’t mind that. It’s just, I’m a little hungry myself and am probably gonna want a nap afterwards. Growing another life inside you is rather exhausting, as it happens.”

Justice made a quick, dismissive, “Tch!” with his tongue, shaking his head while an amused expression stole across his features.

“I love that. “Pull a Fenris.” Have I mentioned how cute you two are?” Justice laughed softly to himself, waving them off with a hand. “Go home, eat well, get some rest. Growing another life inside of you is indeed tiring, or so I hear anyway. I trust you to get your work done when you’re able, Anders. You might be running the clinic and this trial, but since you’re also participating in it, I think some exceptions can be afforded to you.”

Anders nodded his head in thanks as he and Fenris headed to their cars, with Anders agreeing to pick up the pizza on his way back to the house.

A little while later had him stepping inside Papa Bull’s pizza parlor, a little mom and pop shop (or human and Qunari as the case was, apparently) that had cropped up in their area a couple years back. It was surprising good, and the staff were all very friendly, almost like family. Anders stood in the short line inside the toasty little lobby, glancing at all of the pizzas on display to see if any caught his (or his stomach’s) fancy.

Then he saw it. His stomach growled softly as his mouth began salivating profusely.

He swallowed, looking away to see if there was anything, _anything_ else that his stomach thought was more appealing. He did not see anything that he desperately wanted more, and it was eating away at him, just a little. He grumbled to himself as he stepped up to the register where a young man with the name tag that simply read, “Krem” stood waiting to take his order.

“Hey Anders,” Krem greeted him cheerily. He and Fenris were semi-regulars here at Bull’s, so most of the staff knew them by name. “You want your usual?”

Anders sighed softly to himself.

“Actually,” he replied, idly tapping the countertop as he stared at the pizza displays, “I think we’ll change it up a little today. I’m gonna have one whole meat lover’s pizza, and then another whole pizza of… mmm. _That_ one.” He pointed to it, groaning internally.

Krem’s lips twitched up in an amused little grin.

“You got it, chief. One whole meat lover’s and one whole… pineapple chicken coming right up.”

Later, when he and Fenris were opening the boxes while curled up on the sofa in their rec room, Anders opened his box and pulled a slice straight out and bit into it, moaning softly when the sweet and savory flavors hit his palate. Beside him, Fenris was staring, wide-eyed with shock.

“...are you eating…?”

Anders chewed, swallowed, and then firmly waved a single finger at the elf.

“Not. A. Word.” He hissed, cutting each word short for emphasis. Fenris stared at him, then the pizza, then back at him. His lips twitched in amusement.

“It won’t leave the house,” Fenris promised, “however, should Justice happen to visit us here, I am absolutely spilling _all_ of that particular can of beans.” Anders merely grumbled and rolled his eyes, turning back to his chicken and pineapple pizza that really should not be tasting half as good as his body was telling him that it was.

Stupid cravings.

* * *

 

A week later, Isabela and Fenris were in the elevator together, about to head out to their respective cars, and eventually, their spouses.

“Have you started feeling the movements yet?” She asked him, shifting her weight slightly.

Fenris shrugged. “I’m not sure. Every time I think I’ve felt something, I try to see if I can feel it again but nothing happens.” He adjusted his grip on the folio of paperwork he was taking home to write reports and analyses about. “I just assumed that I would know for certain when I was feeling it. What, have you been feeling movements?”

Isabela nodded. Fenris couldn’t decide what her expression was meant to be, so caught was it between what appeared to be discomfort and wonder. His free hand wandered from his side to rest against his belly, fingers idly rubbing at the soft wool of the cardigan that was stretched slightly over the bump.

“It’s weird. At first it was a scary kind of weird, so I picked up one of Merrill’s body pillows, cause usually those are good at being distracting.” She briefly waggled her eyebrows at him before grimacing again. “Next thing I knew I was crying into it. Merrill came home and found me like that, spooning the Dread Wolf.”

She fixed her gaze on the elevator door and sighed, grumbling, “Hormones, man.”

Fenris snorted. “Tell me about it. Anders and I learned the sexes of our babies last week, and it took all I had not to bawl at the sight of those two little blurry blobs on the screen.”

“Ah, well,” Isabela said, shrugging, “It’s just… par for the course, I guess.” She smiled, and Fenris noted with some surprise that the smile was quite sweet and genuine. “Merrill is ecstatic about it though, and she’s very adorable when she’s ecstatic. She makes me feel like this whole thing will be really worth it in the end.”

“That doesn’t sound like such a bad thing,” Fenris pointed out, and Isabela nodded but didn’t say anything.

Then the doors opened and they walked out of the precinct in companionable silence until they bid each other goodbye, heading to their own cars. Fenris drove home, one hand rubbing against his belly every so often, hoping to feel a flutter, or some sort of movement. He supposed it was for the best that it didn’t happen while he was driving. Given his emotional state these days, he was willing to bet his reaction to feeling the baby move wouldn’t be good for driving.

Fenris pulled into the garage and found Anders’ car in its usual spot, signalling that his husband had made it home before he had. The thought of seeing Anders made him smile a little reflexively, and he even whistled a little as he tucked his folio under one arm and his backpack over the other, the little patrol car beeping as he entered the house.

“Anders,” he called cheerily, “Anders, I’m home!”

“In the bedroom, love,” a distant voice called, and the sight that greeted Fenris made him chuckle a little as he entered the room and set down his things.

“Being kept prisoner, I see” Fenris chuffed, unable to keep the laughter from his voice.

Currently, Anders was lying on the bed in his usual jeans, t-shirt and hoodie with the slightly rounder swell of his belly exposed. Ser Pounce-a-lot was lying on top of Anders’ chest while nuzzling and licking at his belly, purring loudly.

Anders merely sighed happily, seemingly luxuriating in the attention.

“A prisoner that could easily escape if he wanted to,” Anders murmured, reaching up to stroke two fingers down Pounce’s back.

The cat purred even louder, and Fenris idly wondered what it felt like to have the little beast purring against his exposed chest and belly. He chuckled as he stood next to their vanity and began grooming his hair, which he’d been neglecting lately. Like his nails these days, it was growing like crazy and needed a trim, but for now a good brushing would do. He glanced at Anders’ reflection in the mirror.

“And what if the prisoner had a visitor who wanted a hug from him?” He asked as sweetly as he could manage. Anders sighed deeply, feigning offense at the suggestion even as he gently extricated the cat from his chest, placing Pounce off to the side of the bed.

The cat jumped off and trotted out of the room as Anders sauntered up and pressed against Fenris from behind, his arms winding about his middle. Fenris could feel the swell of Anders’ belly against his back and the man’s large hands cupping his front. These sensations alone cause twin feelings of safety and _want_ coursing through him, and he hummed a soft little moan as he leaned back into the embrace.

“Feel good?” Anders mumbled into the skin of his neck, lips pressing soft kisses there.

Fenris merely hummed approvingly in response.

“Mmm, that’s good,” Anders continued, fingers rubbing at the stretched fabric of his cardigan. “We should take advantage of this as long as we can, you know. In a month or two hugging will be quite difficult with… well, with anyone.” He gave a breathy little laugh that was infectious enough to pull one from Fenris’ lips as he pulled away to turn around in Anders’ arms.

“I am aware of that, dear,” Fenris rumbled. “That’s why I asked for one. There’s a time limit on these hugs, so I figured we shouldn’t waste them.” He pulled Anders closer for a kiss that was decidedly less chaste than the ones his husband had been pressing into his neck, and Anders moaned softly into it as he did so.

That was when Fenris felt it; a soft flutter from within.

He gasped, his eyes opening wide. Fenris pulled away for a moment, holding his breath to see if he could feel it a second time.

Another flutter came, and this time Anders gasped with him. One hand moved to cover his mouth while the other gingerly wormed its way under the cardigan to press against the skin of Fenris’ belly. Fenris guided Anders’ hand, hoping for more flutters, and he was at last rewarded with a flurry of movement that brought tears to his eyes.

“Oh,” Fenris gasped, his voice almost a whisper, “Oh wow.”

Anders nodded meekly, staring at Fenris’ belly with wonder. “Yeah,” he murmured, “wow.”

They caught the other’s gaze as they glanced up and embraced again, kissing with a wild yet strangely tender abandon.

Moments later they were falling onto the bed, completely naked and working their way to full hardness. Fenris had ended up underneath Anders, the taller man easily straddling his widening hips and thighs.

“Take me,” Fenris whispered, and he actually heard Anders’ breath hitch.

“I mean it,” he insisted before Anders could get too caught up in his own head, “Prepare me, take me. Do it like this, while we still can.” He smiled wryly, and Anders chuckled at their little joke. Anders nodded and leaned over to rummage about through the drawer in the nearest nightstand, practically licking his lips with anticipation as he coated his fingers with the stuff.

He also took the time to stuff a pillow underneath to make things more comfortable for them both, and in no time at all Anders had Fenris writhing and panting against the covers.

“You’re… teasing,” he bit out, breathless, and Anders merely laughed.

“No, just being thorough,” he answered, moving up to capture Fenris’ lips in a quick, tender kiss. “You deserve nothing but the best, my love. I promise, I’ll get on with it soon.”

Anders gently ground his hips against Fenris’ and their cocks brushed one another while trapped between the swells of their bellies. Fenris’ hands reached out to feel the flutters he could feel almost constantly now, and was surprised to feel some pressing against his skin through Anders’ belly as well.

He caught Anders’ gaze, and the blonde chuckled sheepishly.

“She started moving when you got me all… hot and bothered,” he offered, shrugging. “She wanted in on the party, I guess.”

“Sweet of her,” Fenris chuffed, grasping Anders’ cock. “But Daddy wants to have some fun time with her Papa first.” Anders gasped when his fingers initially came in contact with the turgid shaft, but that quickly morphed into moans as Fenris gently gripped him and tugged gingerly, working him up even further.

“Oh, oh Fenris,” Anders panted, head slightly thrown back as golden hair cascaded over his shoulders, “al-alright, I’m on it–!”

Anders’ hips gave one last stuttering thrust when Fenris let go and allowed him to move into position. Fenris, who usually had to force himself to relax whenever he was on the receiving end, had no need to do so this time. The feeling of his son moving around inside him while Anders loomed over him protectively flooded his system with a firm sense of trust. In Anders’ arms, he had nothing to fear.

When the head of Anders’ cock penetrated him, he didn’t bother holding back the resulting moan. In fact, he didn’t bother to be quiet at all as Anders slowly sunk into him, inch by agonizingly arousing inch. Finally, when Anders was seated to the hilt, Fenris sighed contentedly at the fullness that kept him firmly grounded in reality.

“ _Venhedis_ ,” he swore, “this feels, _you_ feel… absolutely fantastic.” He panted breathily, hands clutching at the sheets as he tried to reign in his arousal before Anders could really get started. He knew he wasn’t going to last once Anders started thrusting, but he wanted to get a few in before he went and spilled all over the both of them. Anders was panting as well, arms and legs shaking from the exertion of holding himself back.

“Yeah,” he agreed, “I concur. You’re so deliciously tight I bet if my dick were made of coal it’d come diamonds.”

Fenris snorted. “I don’t think that’s how that works.”

Anders shrugged, popping a quick kiss to the tip of his nose. “Who cares? I’m having sex with my sexy husband–I’m pretty much on cloud nine.” He gave an experimental thrust, drawing a low groan from Fenris. A few short thrusts later had Fenris crying out and spilling in between them, with Anders following shortly after.

He’d been right when he figured they wouldn’t last long.

Fenris let himself lie there as Anders waited for his cock to soften so he could pull out and clean them off. Once he was done, Anders tugged the top cover of the blankets over the both of them and snuggled close. The flutters from within were slowly ceasing as Fenris’ body grew heavy under the promise of a nap. A hum of content rumbled from his chest when he felt the warmth of Anders’ body curl up against his.

“Enjoying a good cuddle?” he mumbled sleepily. Anders’ resulting chuckle made Fenris’ body vibrate. “Yeah. Another thing we won’t be able to do as well as usual in the coming months.” He was, as always, remarkably coherent after a good round of sex.

“So yeah, I’m gonna enjoy this while it lasts.” There was a pause, and then Anders added, “Oh, I’m setting an alarm so I don’t sleep too late. Need to get up and make dinner in a bit. You can just ignore it, okay?” Fenris grunted and breathed in deeply, grasping the loose blanket fabric and holding it close to his chest.

“Say, what do you want to eat later? Any cravings?”

“Lasagna,” Fenris mumbled immediately. Moments later, he was fast asleep and dreaming deeply. He never even heard Anders’ alarm.

* * *

 

“You… you don’t have it?” Anders squeaked. He was trying very hard not to cry in front of the cashier at the bookstore, but he knew anyone could hear how thick his voice was with unshed tears. The woman, a redheaded dwarf with a plaited braid smiled at him sadly. A glance at her nametag proclaimed her to be: Dagna.

“I’m sorry, but we don’t. Are you sure there’s nothing I can help you with?”

Anders sighed, shaking his head. “No, no, I… I’m so sorry to trouble you. I was just… I’ve been to practically every bookstore in Kirkwall and this was kind of my last hope.” He sniffed and wiped at his eyes with one sleeve.

“Really,” the woman insisted, “I want to make it up to you. Let me buy you something for your trouble. There must be something you could want in all of this.” She gestured around with one hand to the shelves around them. Anders took one quick glance before he turned around and asked, very quietly, “Do you have any fairy tale anthologies?”

He arrived home later with the book under one arm, face streaked with the tears he hadn’t bothered to hold back once he’d gotten into the car.

Wearily, he trudged into the dining area and he collapsed into one of the chairs there, setting the book down gingerly before he folded his arms and put his head into them to cry some more. He jumped a little when a hand touched his shoulder gingerly.

“Anders, what’s wrong?” Fenris asked him, voice low and soothing.

“I–” Anders tried to begin, but had to pause a moment before another sob overtook him. “I can’t find my mama’s cookbook that she gave to us as a wedding gift!” He wailed. Fenris sighed and slipped into a chair next to his, scooting over as close as possible to bring Anders into a comforting side hug.

“Aside from the fact that your mother gifted it to you… couldn’t you find the recipe you were looking for elsewhere?”

Anders shook his head. “That’s why I went out; to look for another copy. But no one has it… something about it being out of print for a few years now, it’s just terrible.”

Fenris fixed him with an amused, weary stare. “I meant the internet, dear.”

Anders blinked. Silence filled the space between them.

“Oh,” he eventually whispered, sniffling loudly. “I… didn’t think of that.”

Fenris chuckled and gave Anders a quick kiss on the cheek while a hand rubbed one shoulder soothingly. “It’s alright. You were distraught by the loss of something important to you. I know how that is… do you have any guesses as to where you might’ve left it last? It can’t have left the house if you didn’t take it to work.”

Anders took advantage of the mental clarity Fenris’ grounding presence gave him to cast his thoughts about his mind, rummaging through his distant memories.

“I don’t… know? Maybe I put it on one of the bookshelves in the study by mistake?”

“That’s a start,” Fenris encouraged him. “I’ll go look for you, okay?”

“Okay,” Anders mumbled, nodding. Fenris stood up and was about to head off in that direction before Anders caught his wrist. “I’m… gonna call Mama, just in case. She probably remembers the recipe.”

Fenris lifted his hand up to press a kiss against his knuckles. “Sounds like a plan. I promise, I’ll be as thorough as possible in my search.” Anders chuckled weakly, sniffling. “My knight in shining armor. Sorry about this, I… my emotions just got the best of me.” He glanced down and playfully scowled at his little baby bump.

“This is entirely your fault, you know,” he scolded, clucking his tongue and shaking his head.

His husband just laughed quietly as he left the room. Anders stood, leaving the book he’d purchased on the table as he headed for the kitchen. He pulled his cell from his pocket and thanked the Maker for speed dial as he waited for the call to go through.

“Hello?” his mother’s voice chimed brightly through the tiny speakers. “Hi, sweetheart. How are you? It’s unusual for you to call this late in the evening, isn’t it?”

The sound of his mother’s voice was as soothing as ever.

“Physically, I’m fine,” he answered, unable to hold back a soft sigh. “As is the baby, both of them. Fen’s fine too. Fit as fiddles, us. But the reason I’m calling is… because…” He sniffed once, twice, and had to take a moment to hold back more tears.

“Sweetie, what’s wrong?”

Typical of his mother to just _know_ , though he probably sounded quite distressed even over the phone. He sniffed and sighed deeply. “Fenris wanted lasagna for dinner tonight, but when I went to find the recipe book you gave me at our wedding, it wasn’t in any of the usual places I leave it and… and… I really want lasagna now too. Do you… still remember the recipe?”

His mother chuffed softly and chuckled. “Oh, darling, that’s all? Cravings and mood swings got your goat good tonight, don’t they?”

“Yeah,” Anders admitted shyly. His mother just laughed again and eagerly recited the recipe to him. “That one you’ll be able to cook in under an hour if you’re quick about it. Also if you don’t find the book, I can always bring you another one when we come over for First Day and Wintersend, ok? Don’t work yourself up too much about it; stress isn’t good for the little one.” Anders nodded even though she couldn’t see.

“I know, Mama. And I promise to let you know how it turns out.”

“You’d better!” She teased him. “I didn’t spend a good four years teaching you how to cook for my health!” Anders laughed, a proper, genuine laugh this time. “Alright, Mama. I’m gonna let you go now. Thanks so much for this.”

“Anything for my little boy. Even if he’s not so little now. Love you, sweetheart.”

“Love you too, Mama.”

He pulled the phone from his ear and ended the call, letting out a soft sigh and Fenris strode in from around the corner, holding a book in one hand.

“Sounds like the call went well,” Fenris observed. Anders nodded, though his gaze was fixed on the book in his hands. He pointed to it, asking, “Is that…?”

Fenris nodded. “It was stuck in between a copy of _Hard in Hightown: Siege Harder_ , and… _Bone Up on Anatomy_.” Fenris wrinkled his nose. “I wasn’t sure whether it was about actual anatomy or not, given the title.” He shrugged, putting the book down on the counter. “You must’ve been really tired or something the other night when we were reading together on the sofa.”

Anders sighed again, nodding and muttering to himself. “Yeah, really tired.”

Fenris continued to hover there, as though waiting for something.

“I know I’m usually useless with food,” he began, almost timidly, “but maybe I could help you make it? I just… kind of feel bad you were running all over Kirkwall trying to find this recipe for me and you even called Brigitta for it… I want to help. Somehow.”

Anders chuffed, a feeling of fond amusement blossoming in his chest.

“Sure, sure. I would love an assistant. Come,” he said, bringing Fenris closer as he opened a few of the cabinets above them, “let me show you what I need.”

Afterwards, when all was said and done and the lasagna eaten, Anders pulled Fenris in for a tight hug. “Thank you for that, it was nice cooking with you.” Fenris hummed approvingly. “Could we maybe… do that more often? If we have time?”

“Next week then,” Anders offered, grinning like the cat that’d caught the cream, “we’ll make chicken pot pies. Friday night?”

“It’s a date,” Fenris chuckled, a similar grin reflected on his face and he leaned in for a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forget who it was that suggested Anders crave pineapple and chicken pizza in Fenders/Weird Shit chat, but I decided to take it and roll with it. And I just love dropping in little bits of flavor text here and there. It makes the writing easier when words are hard. :P


	6. Wintermarch (5th Month)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyy, it's been awhile. I've, uh, kind of moved fandoms a bit since the start of Critical Role's Campaign 2, but I'm working on trying to finish this before I move on to other things, ok? Thanks so much for your patience! :D

Loud whirring filled the kitchen as Anders gently ground the five cups of flour into the rest of the cookie batter. The beater protested a little when the thickness of the double batch’s batter gave it some trouble, but Anders calmly upped the beater’s speed and continued. Once the batter was sufficiently mixed to his satisfaction, he turned it off, the whirring fading into silence.

“Is it supposed to smell like that?” Fenris asked as he hovered next to Anders.

Anders sniffed, the acrid scent of something burning hitting his nose.

“The beater? No, not really. Something must be off with the motor, but it’s brand new so I have no idea why it’d be malfunctioning already… the last one I had lasted for ages.” He sighed, gently prying the mixing blades out of the batter and the beater itself, handing one to Fenris. “Here, cause you helped, you get to lick it.”

Fenris took the batter coated mixing blade and stared at it skeptically.

“Isn’t that dangerous? There’s raw egg in this, I know there is. I helped you make it.”

Anders waved him off, boldly licking his own blade. “It’s such a small amount, we should be fine. Besides, licking the batter off of the blades is the best part! I mean, aside from eating the cookies after they’re baked,” he offered by way of assurance.

Fenris shrugged, and gave the batter a gentle lick. Then another. And another.

He moaned softly as his tongue attacked the blade, trying to lick every last bit of cookie batter from the crevices. Anders chuckled. “Keep that up and I might just have to kiss you senseless,” he purred, tossing his clean-ish blade in the sink with all of the other tools to be washed later.

“You’re making such obscene sounds doing that, you know.”

Fenris, apparently deciding to be unusually cheeky, continued to lick and moan even louder as Anders covered the batter bowl in a towel and stuffed it in the bottom of the fridge. Anders closed the door and moved around the elf to press against his front, the now obvious roundness of their bellies making it a little difficult but not yet impossible.

Anders gently plucked the beater blade from Fenris’ fingers and tossed that one into the sink as well, leaning across and capturing the elf’s lips in a kiss. His teeth bit softly into Fenris’ lips as he pulled away, Fenris staring at him, breathless and stunned.

“Told you I’d have to kiss you senseless,” he breathed, chuckling. Fenris huffed, shaking his head but unable to move away. They remained that way for a moment more before the sound of the doorbell startled them both, causing their heads to swivel in the direction of the kitchen doorway. Anders hummed thoughtfully.

“Hmm. Now who could that be, I wonder?” he murmured, slipping from Fenris’ grasp to saunter in the direction of the front door, Fenris following close behind.

Anders paused at the door to look into the peephole and gasped, placing a hand against his chest. “What? They’re here…?” Fenris leaned around him as though he could glimpse a peek from where he stood, grumbling, “Who’s here?” just as Anders’ hand grasped the doorknob and opened the door to reveal…

“Mama!” Anders gasped, pulling the short, mousey woman in for a tight hug. His mother, who only came up to about halfway on Anders’ chest, was nearly dwarfed in her son’s hug, and when he pulled away enough for Fenris to see her face she was laughing as one hand slipped a tendril of wispy brown hair behind an ear.

“Mama,” Anders repeated, breathless, “What are you doing here? Not that I’m complaining, but I thought you weren’t supposed to be around until next week! We haven’t even properly cleared out the storage for guests!”

His mother merely tittered at him. “We wanted to surprise you, of course! And it’s fine, don’t you worry about putting us up for a bit. Hans has built up quite the dragon’s hoard of reward points from all the flying he does for work, so we thought we might pamper ourselves for a week at a nice hotel down the way.”

Anders glanced up at his father slowly, almost shyly. It was obvious he took after his father, though Anders knew his features were not quite as sharp as Hans’.

His father grunted dismissively, carefully meeting Anders’ gaze. “It’s just been awhile since I’ve treated your mother to something nice. I’ll help you fix up that storage of yours while she goes and does her… spa stuff.” His mother snorted. “Oh you will, will you?” She glanced back at him and clucked her tongue.

“You’re coming with me at least once, whether you like it or not!”

Hans grumbled, “Brigitta…”

“No whining!” She insisted, and then gasped as Anders felt a kick from within. Brigitta was cooing over his belly instantly. “Even your grandchild agrees with me,” she chuffed, winking at Anders. He couldn’t help but return the gesture with a grin as he pulled her inside. “Come on, come in,” he said, gesturing for Hans to follow. “Fenris and I just put some cookie dough in the fridge to harden, and it’ll be ready for baking in a few hours!”

“Did you make any icing for them yet?”

Anders shook his head. “Not yet. Would you like to help with that?” Brigitta scoffed and waved a dainty hand at him. “Would I? Hah! What a question. I am absolutely helping you with that. Right now.”

Hans stepped through the door and Fenris closed it behind him. Brigitta glanced back at the sound and spotted the elf, her lips immediately spreading into a wide grin. She tore herself from Anders’ grasp and reached out to pull Fenris to her, though the poor elf appeared not to have anticipated this from the surprise on his face.

Anders snickered as his mother cried out, “Fenris, sweetheart! I bet you thought you were going to get away from me, weren’t you?” Fenris grumbled, but allowed the small woman to fuss over him and the swell of his belly beneath the fluffy cardigan he wore.

“Alright, alright, I won’t keep you anymore,” Brigitta said after she finally released him. “I’m just glad to see you properly after hearing so much from Anders.” Fenris nodded, offering her a slight smile. “I’m glad to see you as well. It will be nice having you and Varania around for a little while.” Anders hummed thoughtfully.

“Isn’t she supposed to come soon as well?”

“Tomorrow or the day after,” Fenris said, nodding. “It’s why I asked for a few days off so that we could greet her and make sure she had a place to stay and such.”

Brigitta grinned and clapped her hands together. “The more the merrier. I hope she likes planning baby showers, because that’s absolutely happening before she has to go back home.” She patted him down once more before turning around to face Anders.

“So. The kitchen? We’ll leave our less culinary inclined other halves to make sense of that storage of yours, shall we?”

Behind them, Hans grunted.

“Looks like we’re being relegated to grunt work. Come on, why don’t you show me that storage then?” Fenris nodded in agreement and the two men walked down the long hallway to the storage room. Anders and his mother watched the two of them leave before turning to each other and giving another quick embrace.

“To the kitchen?” Anders asked.

Brigitta grinned. “Lead the way.”

* * *

 

A few days later, Fenris was moving some boxes down into the basement, which he and Hans had relegated their new storage to.

“Anders at work today?” Hans asked when Fenris let him in after hearing the doorbell ring.

Fenris nodded. “Brigitta at the spa?” He asked in return, lips unable to keep from forming a grin. Hans snorted. “Of course.” He noted the box that Fenris had placed on the dining table when he’d gone to fetch the door.

“I see you’ve been getting a head start this morning.” He gave Fenris a cursory glance up and down. “You’re not trying to lift anything too heavy?”

Fenris picked up the box and nodded. “I still work out to keep my back pain to a minimum, so I know where my limits are. It’s my balance that I have trouble with at the moment. Stupid shifting center of gravity,” he grumbled. Hands chuckled. “Well, just remember who gave you that shifting center of gravity.”

“Mmm, of course. Though turnabout is fair play it seems, since he has one of his own. I’m surprised he hasn’t complained about his own troubles with balance. He’s the tall and gangly one after all.” Hans followed Fenris down to the basement, descending the stairs close behind. Fenris smiled to himself, flattered that the normally stoic man was so concerned for him.

“He’s probably like his mother,” Hans replied as they turned a corner into the wine cellar turned multipurpose storage. “Oh?” Fenris asked, curious. “How so?”

Hans shrugged. “Brigitta never outright fell or anything, but she tripped over her own feet a lot. I could see my son being more like that.” Fenris snorted, setting down the box on top of another and turning back to ascend the stairs again. “I’d give just about anything to trip over my feet instead of bumping into tables and countertops all the time. Also the walls sometimes like to move, too.”

At that, Hans burst into outright laughter. “Well, seems like that’s just how the cookie crumbles for you!”

Mmm. Cookies.

Instead of heading back for another box, Fenris’ feet took him in the direction of the kitchen and towards the fridge, where he pulled out one of the many cookie filled containers that Anders and Brigitta had filled the other night with all of the cookies they’d made. He took about five of the iced ones without a single thought, stuffing the container back into the fridge.

He stilled when he caught sight of Hans just leaning in the doorway with a grin on his face, the bristles of his moustache twitching.

“Um,” Fenris mumbled sheepishly, “did you, ah… want some?”

Hans chuckled. “Nah. Thanks for the offer though. Craving hit you?”

Fenris pouted, munching on one of the cookies, relishing how the sweetness of the icing and the fluffiness of the cookie just made his mouth water.

“You’re the one who mentioned cookies. It’s your fault.”

Fenris just sighed and continued to quickly consume his snack in silence while Hans poured them both a glass of orange juice. Fenris nodded his thanks as he took it, quickly downing the stuff and setting the glass on the counter.

“So, shall we tackle the wall nearest the bathroom now?” he asked.

Hans nodded, humming thoughtfully.

“Sounds like a plan.”

Over the course of the next few days, the two were able to clear out all of the unnecessary boxes and knick knacks, even arranging them into a better system than before. The room looked rather plain without everything in it however, leaving it to feel far too open for a guest room. Fenris wrapped his arms around himself while he mused as to what it should become.

Anders’ parents had yet to come by to settle in that day, though Anders was home early from work, trying to take it easy after a rough morning of running around. Fenris could hear the other man trudging down the hall, sock-feet dragging against the wood.

“Hey sweetheart,” Anders greeted him, poking his head around the door. “Thought I’d find you here.” Fenris returned his greeting with a hug and a quick kiss, allowing himself to remain in Anders’ embrace. Together they surveyed the room’s sparse surroundings: a few drawers, shelves, and of course the bunk beds.

“You know,” Anders mused, “this could be a great space for the nursery.”

Fenris turned to him, eyes wide. “Really? You think so?”

Anders nodded, humming contentedly. “It would be easy to just transition it into the kids’ bedroom when they’re older, since we have the bunk beds. I mean, if we decide we want more we’ll have to expand or move someplace bigger but… I think we could make it work.” Anders turned to meet Fenris’ gaze and grinned, the wide smile making Fenris’ heart thump as his stomach tumbled over itself with a strange giddiness.

“I suppose, with your parents’ help, it shouldn't be too hard. Your mother wants to throw us a shower, after all.”

Anders leaned over and pressed another kiss into his hair, filling Fenris with a warm fuzziness.

“Don’t remind me. I’m trying not to think of whatever it is she’s already planning for us.” He chuffed. “Maybe Varania will help rein her in a little?” Fenris snorted. “Not a chance. She loves to put me on the spot and document my embarrassment. In the best possible way, of course, but still. Whatever your mother’s planning, she’ll be right there with her.”

Anders sighed, chuckling. “At least we’ll be suffering together, and maybe we’ll get some free cribs out of it. I’ve been looking at those things online and whoo! Some of those get pretty expensive.”

“It’s not like we need one to play nanny for us,” Fenris grumbled good naturedly, “We just need something that doesn’t look like it’ll fold the moment we set a child inside it.”

Anders snorted. “Yeah. True.”

Outside the room’s front facing window, the two could see Anders’ parents’ rental car pull up into the driveway. “Well,” Anders said, glancing at Fenris, “let’s go help them get settled in.” Fenris gave Anders’ belly a quick pat (with Anders giving his one in return), leaning up to steal another kiss which Anders gladly gave. They slipped apart and headed for the front door, fingers still threaded as they walked out together, Fenris feeling lighter than he’d been in awhile.

* * *

 

Having Anders’ parents over at their home for several hours during the day had initially been a delight. One or both of them would come over, have lunch with whoever was home from work, and they’d leave shortly before dinner.

Now that they had settled into the guest room, things were different. Not that they weren’t still delightful people, but the increased proximity made some things a bit… awkward.

The first morning after they’d settled in, Fenris had woken up to the smell of bacon and eggs.

He smiled and licked his lips, rolling out of bed as he adjusted his boxers. He wobbled slightly when he stood, forcing him to take a moment to steady himself while he yawned and rubbed his eyes. Spotting his robe, he slipped it on and tied it off as he meandered in the direction of the kitchen. The robe could still be tied, though it no longer covered his belly entirely, leaving a sliver of skin open to the air.

Normally that wouldn’t’ve mattered, this was his own home, after all. However when he turned into the kitchen and came across Anders and his mother making breakfast together, he stilled.

“Oh!” Brigitta gasped when she caught sight of him, standing there dumbstruck. “Oh, how cute you look! So, this is what you get to wake up to every morning, isn’t it?” She glanced at Anders, poking his shoulder with a fork teasingly.

“Mother!” Anders whined, glancing at Fenris apologetically. “Mother, you’re married. And that’s my husband you’re ogling, you know.”

Brigitta chuckled, waving him off with a hand.

“I still have eyes, dear.” She replied, chuckling. Then she turned to Fenris and smiled sheepishly. “I don’t mean anything by it, honest. If you want, you can fetch a sweater a we’ll forget this whole episode ever happened?”

Fenris’ ears burned fiercely as he nodded and turned back to go change into something more decent, eventually returning in a sweater and sweatpants.

He and Anders had yet to be caught in one of their more intimate moments yet, though they eventually decided their desires had to be put off on hold once Varania showed up almost the following evening.

Fenris had heard the car drive up as he and Anders were chatting with Hans and Brigitta at the dinner table, and his phone buzzed in his pocket with a text.

 **Varania** [8:28]: Just pulled up. Guessing by the other rental car Anders’ parents are here.

Fenris smirked, politely excusing himself so that he could greet his sister privately. As he walked towards the front, he quickly texted back.

 **Fenris** [8:29]: They are, and they got dibs on the guest room. You’re stuck with the basement bedroom, unfortunately. :P

Almost immediately he got another text in reply.

 **Varania** [8:29]: Jerk. :P

Pausing at the door to glance at her response, he chuckled, shaking his head as he pulled on a coat to head outside. Immediately he was greeted to the sight of another rental car in the driveway next to Hans and Brigitta’s; where a thin elven woman with bright red-orange hair was pulling a suitcase out from the trunk.

She looked up at him as he approached, her lips spreading into a wide smile.

“Hello, brother dearest,” she greeted him as the two of them exchanged polite kisses on their cheeks. Fenris hummed. “Hello sister. Would you like any help with that? And don’t say anything about my being pregnant, I can still lift things just fine for the moment.”

She clucked her tongue at him. “No, no, I can manage well enough on my own. Thank you for the offer though.” Fenris did hold the door open for her however, which she thankfully did not protest. “Are you hungry?” Fenris asked her as he closed the door, “We were just in the middle of dinner and could spare you a plate if you wanted.”

Varania paused to consider that for a moment before nodding.

“Sure! But not too much! I did have a bit to eat on the road a little while ago.”

They left her luggage near the study door and when Anders’ parents caught sight of her, Brigitta gave a soft cry of delight.

“Varania, darling,” Brigitta cooed as she got up out of her seat to greet her, “it’s so lovely to see you again. You’re looking well–what have you been up to?”

Fenris touched Anders’ shoulder to catch his attention as the two women sat down and began to catch up about recent events. “Would you mind making a small plate for Varania? Not too much though, since she’s already eaten a bit.” Anders stood and kissed him briefly at the corner of his mouth. “Sure, sure. I’ll be right back. Try not to let them start planning that shower before I return, hmm?”

“I make no promises!” he called after Anders as the man sauntered off in the direction of the kitchen. Fenris’ eyes lingered on his hips, which were just beginning to shift with a hint of that pregnant sway…

“No promises about what?” Varania’s voice cut into his musings and he turned to her, taking back his seat at the table to finish eating. He grinned.

“I told him that letting you two plan our baby shower would have disastrous results if I just let you run rampant with it, so he asked if I could keep you from conspiring against us for the night. So of course I told him I’d make no promises, since when have I ever been able to stop you from doing anything that might make me uncomfortable?” He winked at Varania as he held up a glass of cider and toasted to her.

Varania just leaned back in her chair and smirked. “I mean, I’ll try not to make you _too_ uncomfortable. I imagine you’ve got enough of that just by being pregnant.” Her eyes softened as she finished, and Fenris thought that perhaps for all her usual teasing she was at least serious about this.

As Anders was swaying back out of the kitchen, he nodded. “It’s no picnic, certainly. After all,” he says, jerking a fork in Anders’ direction, “you wouldn’t believe the farts this one gets after lasagna night.”

Anders shot him a bland stare as he set a plate full of food in front of Varania.

“You know, I think she could’ve gone without knowing that, love.”

Fenris just shot the man a feral grin that he hoped would get him a more private telling off for later; Anders retaking his place at the table to finish his own food.

Dinner conversation was pleasant, focusing mostly on Varania and her work with the fashion company she’d landed a designer’s spot at about a year ago. Fenris felt a swell of pride in his chest knowing that his sister was doing well for herself and finally flourishing now that she wasn’t under the thumb of their adoptive father.

Eventually it shifted towards Anders and Fenris as Varania asked after how things were going, and without getting too into the details, they were able to give her the gist of their experiences.

“I think what we’re looking into now is maybe having that spare room we just cleared out turned into a nursery,” Fenris told her as she leaned back in her seat, plate pushed forward and cleaned off. She grinned at him. “Sounds like an excellent idea, brother. Brigitta and I will have our hands full trying to whip up something for that baby shower then, since you’ll be needing a lot of things.”

“Most of which I already have on a list,” Brigitta interjected, waving her phone at Varania. “I’ll share it with you later, of course, but for now… I think Hans and I are going to be turning in. We’re old folks that like our sleep.”

“And our _sleep_ ,” Hans added, snickering. Anders groaned.

“Dad! Please. I don’t need to know.”

Hans merely shot him a smirk. “Don’t think your mother and I don’t know what goes on when you think we can’t hear. Goodness knows your mother was quite the horndog when she was pregnant with you.”

“Ok, I’m gonna go clean up now. Maker.” He shook his head with a heavy sigh as he shot a glance in Fenris’ direction. “Fenris, could you show–?”

Fenris nodded, chuckling. “Of course. Varania, I’ll show you down if you’ll get your things…”

And so Hans and Brigitta retired to the guest room as Anders collected the dishes, carting them off to the kitchen to wash them while Fenris showed Varania to her room. As they were getting her settled, she turned to him, her lips quirking upwards.

“So, I won’t be able to hear anything down here, will I?”

Fenris rolled his eyes.

“Sister, I love you, but maybe you don’t need to know _quite_ that much about me, yes?” He sighed, huffed a breath, then added after a moment, “Though I suppose, to answer your question; maybe. Probably. It’s not like we’ve ever tested this.”

Varania giggled and waved him off. “Alright, alright. I think I’m done teasing you. You go on and ravish your husband right and proper.” Fenris snorted. “If I have the energy to, maybe. Sometimes being tired overrides being horny, even while pregnant. Gotta pick your battles with your body, especially when it’s growing another living being inside it.”

“Hmm, that’s fair.” Varania leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before he turned to leave. “Goodnight brother dear. See you in the morning.”

Fenris bid his own goodnight and returned upstairs to find Anders already in bed, half asleep.

He slunk in under the covers after changing into his usual robes and boxers, reaching up to brush a lock of Anders’ hair behind one ear. Anders hummed softly.

“Well, looks like the gang’s all here,” Anders mumbled sleepily. “‘s gonna be fun… mostly.”

Fenris chuffed. “We’ll make it work. I’m rather looking forward to it, since… you know.” Anders nodded, blinking bearily at Fenris as the elf rolled over to turn off his light, immersing them in darkness. “Oh,” Anders breathed, “right. I guess big family gatherings weren’t something you have many pleasant memories with, huh? Well. I’m glad you’re looking forward to it, even if my parents are awful lechers and your sister has it out to embarrass us both at every turn.”

“She’s just glad to catch up and spend time with family again too. And your parents aren’t so bad.” Anders rolled his eyes. “Ok, maybe they like teasing us a little too much, but that’s ok. I wouldn’t trade that for anything. Especially not these two,” Fenris whispered, reaching down to stroke their bellies.

Anders nodded once more, yawning. “Yeah. Me either. Well, I’ve got an early morning so any fun things will have to wait for tomorrow. Maybe.”

“If we’re not dead tired by the evening.”

“Yeah. Being pregnant is hard, sometimes. And not the fun kind of hard.”

“You know, it’s not difficult to see where you got that gutter mind from, Anders.”

Snort.

“Alright, alright. But seriously though. Tired horny is _the worst_.”

Fenris grunted in assent. “I concur. But now, I’m going to sleep. I have an early morning tomorrow as well.” He pressed himself closer, kissing Anders first on the nose, then the lips.

“Goodnight, Anders.”

“Goodnight, Fenris.”

And with that, as soon as he was warm and comfortable, Anders’ arms wrapped around him as best they could manage, both men tumbled quickly into the sweet embrace of sleep.

* * *

 Anders never thought he’d see the day where he’d be gossiping with his own patients like one of those rich kids he used to see gathered in corners at the boarding school he’d gone to, but here he was, perched on top of the doctor’s chair with his clipboard wedged delicately between his belly and thighs.

“So, we’ve got a date for our baby shower now,” said Anders, gesturing animatedly with one hand. His patient, a now equally pregnant Athros, was sitting up on the table with a hand stroking his belly while he listened intently, nodding and unable to keep from smiling.

“That’s great news!” Athros replied, laughing. “I do hope you’re inviting Zevran and I.”

“Of course! I gave my mother your new address three days ago. The shower’s next Saturday, so she’s been suggesting to all the guests to start looking for a gift once they’ve read their invitations,” he chuckled. “How’s the new house, by the way? And the baby?”

Before Athros could answer, Anders gasped and glanced down at his clipboard.

“Oh! Speaking of that, I should probably be asking you these questions instead. Maker, where has my mind gone?” He carefully wiggled his way off of the chair and began directing Athros to lay back so he could check everything. Athros huffed in amusement as Anders moved about, asking questions and taking notes.

“Your mind’s gone the way of the baby brain, friend,” Athros supplied. “Don’t feel bad. I’ve been misplacing things all the time now. Even with the new kitchen and all, every time I use one of the wooden cooking spoons I somehow manage to take it somewhere else and promptly forget where I’ve left it. Zevran keeps finding most of them in the bedroom, somehow.”

Anders grinned. “Are you certain your subconscious isn’t trying to tell you something?”

Athros snorted. “Absolutely. We have better things than a wooden cooking spoon for that sort of thing. But seriously, don’t rake yourself over the coals too hard. Baby brain can be useful for some things. My Antivan has been improving like crazy, and Zevran’s over the moon about it. We’re able to have almost whole conversations now in Antivan.”

“I’ve noticed that,” Anders hummed as he started to wrap up his assessment paperwork. “For me it’s uh, housework. Fenris has been teaching me how to repair things when they break and I’ve been teaching him how to cook. It’s pretty amazing how we’re just able to soak up all that information like a sponge.”

Athros stiffened a bit, groaning softly as he rubbed at a spot in his side.

“Oof. Yeah, a swollen sponge, for sure.”

Anders, finally finished with his paperwork, set down the clipboard and hovered over Athros for a minute. “Bit of a hard kick, there?” Athros nodded. “Heh. Probably my fault. I was craving some of Zevran’s rice last night and had some of the leftovers for lunch. Very spicy.”

“Well, as long as there’s no lingering aches…?”

Athros shook his head. “No, that’s just par for the course with this little one. So am I good to go then? Nothing unusual with my blood pressure or anything?”

Anders hummed noncommittally, helping Athros off of the table and leading him back out of the exam room with his clipboard under one arm. “Nope! Everything looks good! Just maybe cut back on the salt a bit if you’re worried and keep taking those vitamins, alright?”

“Yes, of course. And I promise we’ll be at that shower!”

“I’ll be looking forward to it,” Anders emphasized. “Drive home safely.”

Athros waved back at him as he left, and when Lirene walked up to him, Anders handed her the clipboard with his notes. “Do I have anymore today?”

“Ah, Athros Mahariel was the last one. The chief of medicine told me to pass on the new working restrictions, since you’ll be on leave at the start of Drakonis.” She handed him a sheet of paper with the new memo on it, which he’d already read by e-mail earlier, but Justice knew he liked being reminded since he knew Anders would forget to print one himself.

“Ah, good. I was starting to get a bit tired. I suppose then, if you have all the paperwork in order…?”

“Yes, yes. Go home, Dr. Skovsgaard.” She smiled at him. “So, about that baby shower?”

He waved the memo at her. “Yes, yes. I’ve given my mother your address, too. And, knowing my mother, there’s also probably a note in there about what things she, ah, has suggested as gifts to bring. Take them with a grain of salt, I guess? Or don’t. Sometimes her suggestions are less suggestions and more… well. You know.”

Lirene snickered. “I think I saw that invitation this morning. I’ll keep that in mind when I read it later. But anyway, I’ve got things here, you head on home. Go get some rest.”

“Yes ma’am,” Anders teased. She just rolled her eyes and shook her head at him as he headed for his office to collect his things.

When he arrived, he found Merrill standing at his door, hand poised to knock.

“Oh, Merrill!” he called, “I’m over here.”

She gasped excitedly and turned around to face him. Her little face broke out into the happiest smile at the sight of him. “Anders! I’m so glad I caught you!” She ran up to him and swept him up into a hug, which was strangely not as difficult for her as he thought it’d be, given their sizes. Merrill was one of those people who showed early and carried large because she was so small, and so even at five months she looked further along than he did.

“I’m glad to see you too,” Anders told her, surprised by how genuine the statement was. “You were just about to knock? Was there something you wanted to tell me?”

Merrill was breathless, and upon a second look he could see tears in her eyes. They seemed to be happy tears though, so that eased Anders’ worries somewhat.

She sniffed, wiping at her tears.

“Yeah, I, uh. I had news. Good news, I promise.”

“You got in touch with your family, I take it?” he coaxed, and she nodded.

“I did. It went… very well, actually. They’re coming to visit for Wintersend. I’m gonna get to see Tamlen and Marethari and Pol…” She chuckled sheepishly. “I hope Isabela’s going to be ok with it. She, well–”

“For you, that woman would do anything,” Anders responded, chuckling. “She got pregnant for you, after all. But it’s not me you should be talking to about that, you know. Communicating with your partner is important.” He gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze. “I’m happy that I was the first person you came to, though. It’s very… touching.”

He sniffed, wiping at his eyes. “Ugh. Now you’ve got _me_ all weepy! Thanks.”

Merrill giggled again, giving Anders another quick hug. “Sorry. I’m about to head off myself so I can go and do that talking to Isabela thing like a responsible adult, but I wanted to see if you were still here, so… yeah. Glad I caught you.”

“Me too,” Anders agreed. “Well, I should be going. Lirene all but shoved me out the door so I’m heading home to go make dinner if Mom hasn’t started on it already.” Merrill cooed at him. “Your mother’s such a sweet woman. Oh, and I got the invitation today! Isabela and I will absolutely be there! Though, I think I’m supposed to mail it back or... something?”

“It’s a courtesy, yeah,” Anders agreed. “But there should also be a number you can call. It’s her cell, I think, not my house phone. She and Fenris’ sister are organizing the whole thing.”

“Oh, Varania’s in town?”

“Mm-hmm. It’s been a little awkward having so many people under our roof, especially family, but… it’s nice. Reconnecting with my father has been… it’s been good.”

“I’m happy you and your father are speaking again. It’s nice to see all these good things coming together because of these little ones,” she sighed wistfully before shrugging and stepping away. “I suppose I’ll let you go now, then. I’ll call your mother later, and… hmm. Do ‘Bela and I have to bring separate gifts, or…?”

Anders waved her off, laughing. “Save those questions for my mother. She’s the one with all the answers.” He rummaged in his coat pockets for his keys and fumbled with them to find the right one once he found them.

“Oh, ok! I’ll ask her then!” he heard Merrill call out as he entered his office. “Have a good evening!”

“You too, Merrill,” he called back over his shoulder before he closed the door.

She was a sweet girl, that one. He was glad to have her for a friend. Glad to have so many strong women in his life. Oh, he still cherished the few strong men he had, his father and his husband especially, but… the women in his life were so good to him and it was all he could do to try and be good to them in return.

He let his thoughts wander along those lines as he gathered his things, and if he stopped to pick up some of his mother’s favorite spices to add to his spice rack, he didn’t think anything of it.

* * *

 The day of the baby shower came sooner than Anders expected it to, having kept himself busy with work and trying to figure out how to have sex with Fenris and also without the other current occupants of the house knowing what they were up to.

In fact, that morning as he was coming to consciousness, he’d been debating with himself about whether or not he should try to deal with his hard-on before or after he showered, though that decision was made for him when there came a knock on their door and a voice on the other end announced they’d be going shopping after breakfast so both of them had better get their butts out of bed if they wanted to eat before they left.

“Nnngh. Why are we doing this, again?” Fenris groaned, standing in front of the mirror in the master bedroom and blinking blearily at his reflection while Anders brushed his hair.

“Because my mother wants to buy us some nice things to wear for the baby shower and yes, I know, we already have some nice things but this is my mother we’re talking about so there’s no saying no to hear unless you want the puppy eyes.”

“I’ve got some pretty good puppy eyes myself. Can’t I flash them at her so I can go back to sleep?” Anders snorted. “Your puppy eyes are good, but I think hers are better. Alright, I think you’re mostly presentable now. Let’s get dressed so we can go eat. I’ll do my best to keep her from dressing you up like a doll, alright?” He winked, and Fenris just hummed as he pressed a kiss to one of Anders’ exposed clavicles.

Now they were all dressed up and and were sitting at a table in the backyard underneath the same archway they’d purchased to be married almost two years ago now. Fenris had on a plain white cotton shirt with long sleeves underneath a speckled light gray wool sweater and a large brown scarf that nearly dwarfed his neck and upper body. It looked quite warm though.

Anders’ ensemble was somewhat simpler, since he’d managed to talk his mother into just buying him a cotton shirt like Fenris’ along with a heavy dark gray woolen top with similarly long sleeves.

Beside him, Fenris was eyeing the pile of packages that was slowly growing larger as guests arrived. He hummed nervously as he looked around at all of their friends who were sipping at punch and nibbling at the veritable smorgasbord of food Brigitta had cooked up. Anders leaned next to Fenris and rubbed gingerly at his back.

“You alright, darling? I know this is a lot of people.”

“Oh, I’m fine,” Fenris replied, sounding surprised. “I’m just… a little amazed and overwhelmed at how many friends we have. And… is that Sebastian? I’m surprised your mother was able to get him here.”

Anders made a dismissive noise in the back of his throat. “Never underestimate my mother. How many times have I told you that?” He chuckled. “Anyway, he seems to have come ‘round to the idea of these trials. The man loves children, even if they are kind of products of a bit of magic and a lot of science.”

“Hey, there was some fucking too, if I recall.”

Anders couldn’t help the wheezing guffaw that escaped him, causing a few heads to turn their way. Two of them belonged to Garrett Hawke and his twin, Marian, and they wandered over in their direction after exchanging a few pleasantries with Aveline and her fiancé, Donnic.

“Hey lovebirds!” Garrett greeted them boisterously. “What’s so funny over here?”

“Nothing,” Anders snickered. “Just Fenris and his delightfully dry wit.”

“What?” Fenris interjected, rolling his eyes, “I was just telling it like it is.”

The twins pulled over some chairs from nearby tables and sat down, sipping at their drinks. Marian smiled at them, nodding her head in acknowledgement.

“Telling it like it is?” She repeated with a knowing kind of smile. “I’d eat my hat if you weren’t talking about Sebastian just now. I know that face Anders always makes when he talks about the man.” Anders huffed, shrugging. “I hate him much less now that I’m happily married with two kids on the way. Got better things to do than hold onto old grudges like that. Plus, Merrill says it’s unhealthy.”

“Because it is,” Fenris muttered into his own punch, drawing another snicker from Anders.

“Yeah, yeah. I know. But anyway, I’m glad everyone’s here for this. Hey, looks like Zevran and Athros finally made it!”

Athros waved at him from across the way, holding a large, brightly colored paper bag with tissue paper peeking out from the top. Zevran had a gift as well, and the other elf winked at him as he and his husband set down their gifts and began to mingle. Anders sighed happily.

“Well, for having two buns in the oven, you look pretty good,” Garrett teased. “Happy, that is. It seems to suit you.”

“Yeah, well, just try to keep Varric’s storytelling to a minimum, right? If he starts talking about his smut novels to my mother I’ll never hear the end of it.” Fenris snorted. “Too late. We still have all the copies of his books he sent us. I saw her reading Swords and Shields the other day. She definitely knows we have them.”

Anders groaned. “Well, he could at least do us a favor and not write a book about us.”

Marian chuckled. “Pregnant sex is all well and good, but when it’s so obviously based on you then it gets weird?” Anders hummed in agreement. “Yeah. And the man rarely bothers to look up what’s physically possible, so sometimes it’s even more weird to read because of it. If he could not put _that_ in his books, I’d be grateful.”

Garrett grinned. “He owes me a favor or two. I’ll see what’s going in that big brain of his and if there’s any funny business, I’ll deal with it.”

“Thanks you two,” Fenris echoed. Garrett chuffed. “What are friends for?”

Anders grinned. “I hope your mother made you get us actual gifts for this instead of the gag gifts I know you’re prone to.” Marian smirked. “It was a combination of your mother and ours. Also Bethany. Carver was easier to convince, and he got you both something nice and sensible at our father’s insistence.”

Garrett whined. “I still say the plastic duck that farts when you squeeze it would’ve been a better gift than the one that just outright _quacks_. Like, where’s the fun in that?”

Marian just sighed and shook her head, then glanced at Fenris and Anders. “He got you something nicer than that, I promise.”

Fenris chuckled. “Maybe go back for that duck, though. I kind of want it now.”

“See, see! I told you they’d like it.”

Anders and Marian shared a look. “Hey, there’s no accounting for taste,” she told him. Anders snorted. “I married him. It’s kind of par for the course at this point. Also, knowing him, he just wants it for him. Forget the kids.”

“Pfft. That is very _you_ , Fenris.” Marian snorted. “I never pegged you as one for potty humor, but you never cease to amaze me.”

Conversations drifted in and out as the evening went on, and once the sun was down far enough and the lights that had been strung about the yard began to glow in earnest, highlighting every one of their breaths as they exhaled, Brigitta called for everyone’s attention.

“I’m glad you all could make it, everyone. Now, I’m not one for speeches and neither are my son or son-in-law. So why don’t we just cut the cake, start in on the gifts, and have a good time?”

There was a chorus of agreement and Brigitta clapped her hands as Hans brought the cake over to Anders and Fenris for cutting. “You two first! Dig in, dears.” Anders and Fenris each got some rather sizable pieces for themselves, though there was still quite a bit of cake left even after everyone had gotten a piece. Anders’ mouth was watering even as he was halfway through his piece, signalling to his father to get him another one. His appetite had ramped up in the last few days and he knew from his readings that this was just the beginning of a growth spurt for the child within.

Gifts were next, and it didn’t take very long for either of them to burst into tears. Fenris was first, fawning over a blanket Varania had actually had made for them specifically that was covered in symbols from their birthplace in Seheron. Anders managed to get about halfway through until he pulled out a tiny onesie from the bag Athros had brought which had a tiny Warden’s crest on the front with text that said: _In Eating, Sustenance. In Pooping, Effervescence. In Sleeping, Silence_.

His tears were happy ones though as he continued to laugh and giggle at the text on the onesie for the entire night.

Merrill and Isabela had brought a couple halla plush dolls and a toy box in the shape of a pirate’s treasure chest, Zevran had bought a couple onesies just like Athros, though his said things like, _Who Needs to Know How to Lockpick? I’m a Master Escape Artist_ and _Diggin’ for Gold (In My Nose)_ and other equally odd and cheesy sayings. Others were more practical, like Aveline and Donnic supplying several kinds of diapers in both disposable and cloth forms, or Sebastian’s car seats and Varric’s plastic bottles (though some of those had little pictures on them of cartoon letters or illustrations of books).

By the end of it, they had blankets and clothing and toys and diapers… Malcolm Hawke had even brought two very nice looking cribs that he promised he and his boys would come help assemble for them next week, and both Anders and Fenris were crying at that one, though neither cared at that point.

There were just so many things that they were wondering where to put everything and what to do with it all, but Brigitta and Varania were there to reassure them they would help with everything. Things were starting to wind down once people bid them goodnight and began to leave in pairs as they cleaned up and gathered their things, and once most of the people had left, Anders finally allowed himself a moment to yawn.

“Tired?” his mother asked as Fenris began to yawn beside him.

Anders nodded. “It was a long day, and a lot of excitement. Fun, though.”

She hummed in agreement. “Well, Hans, Varania and I are going to clean everything and move all of the gifts inside, so why don’t you two go to bed and get some rest? You and those babies need your sleep, you know.”

“Yeah, actually I think we’ll do that. Fenris?”

Fenris leaned his head against Anders’ shoulder and grunted. Anders huffed, laughing through his nose. “Yeah, we’ll definitely be doing that. Alright, c’mon Fen, let’s get up. I’m sure my shoulder is very comfortable and all, but the bed’s much better. Come on.”

Eventually he was able to coax Fenris up and out of the chair and the two of them stumbled through the house and into bed, only just managing to shed down to their underwear before crawling under the sheets. They cuddled as close as they could, their bare bellies gently pressed against one another as the occupants inside pressed back in little kicks and shifts.

“Seems like they’re very excited too,” Anders chuckled, rubbing a hand over Fenris’ belly, thumbing slowly over the stretching skin. Fenris grumbled, though there was only a good-natured note of annoyance to as he rumbled in reply, “Of course they are. Hmm. Maybe I should go to the bathroom before I let myself get too comfortable.”

Anders groaned, feeling that familiar pressure in his groin.

“Ugh, now that you say that, I have to go.”

Fenris hummed in amusement. “Well, let’s go do that before a bladder gets kicked and we have no say in the matter.” Anders shrugged as they trudged into the bathroom and he let Fenris do his business first. “You say that, and then in about four hours you just _know_ we’ll be up again. We had _a lot_ of punch tonight.”

“It was good punch.”

“Yeah, it was,” Anders agreed, “but we still had a lot. We’ll be here again sometime in the early morning hours, I promise you.”

“Hmm. I don’t doubt it. Hey, maybe if we’re lucky, we can get off while everyone’s asleep.”

“Oh. _Oh ho_. I like how you think.”

“Knowing us, we’ll still be too tired for it, but it’s nice to dream.”

“Yeah, it is,” Anders agreed. “But who knows. Maybe that dream will come true.”

“I certainly hope you cum.”

Anders snorted, shaking his head as he finished with his own business and the climbed back into bed to cuddle some more.

“Me too, Fen. Me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, I had a bit of writer's block after last December and when I started wanting to make things again it was for my art and not even for this fandom, lol. I've got a plan though for finishing this, so you know, sit tight.
> 
> Also, this was a monster of a chapter that just kept getting longer and longer and it took me forever to cover all of my "talking points" for this one. Next one's gonna have more fluff and smut. Especially once the parents and sister get out of the house. Then they can just go nuts and be as loud as they like. :D


	7. Guardian (6th Month)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More smut! Rejoice! This one's not as long as the last one, but I got to the end of my notes for this chapter and realized it didn't need anything else. This has about three more chapters left, plus an epilogue, and I think now that I've worked past my block with this fic things should go a little more smoothly. (crosses fingers)
> 
> But anyway, enjoy your smut with a side of fluff.

“Fatigue getting to you?” Isabela asked Fenris as she waddled into the station break room that Fenris had chosen to spend his lunch break.

Fenris grunted, not really moving from his place on the couch he was currently reclining on, feet elevated underneath the pillows. “Not really,” he told her honestly, stroking his belly beneath the woolen cardigan he wore. “I just practically inhaled my lunch and then decided I didn’t want to move for the rest of my break.” He waved at the sizable lunch bag sitting on the table nearest the couch by way of explanation.

Isabela chuckled, but didn’t say much of anything else until she was finished pouring herself a cup of something before she pulled one of the plastic chairs over to sit next to him. Her belly spilled into her lap now, and she’d taken to wearing more high-waisted pants that still somehow worked for her. However, with the shorter tops she wore now to help contain her already ample cleavage, the pants tended to emphasize the roundness of it more than anything.

He glanced over at the cup in her hands.

“You’re not having too much of that, are you? Anders tells me that I need to remind you not to have more than a mug of that day, or two if it’s instant instead of filtered.”

“Relax, darling,” Isabela drawled, “it’s just water with some flavoring. I already had my one cup of coffee this morning and I know better than to incur the wrath of your husband where these babies are concerned.”

Fenris chuckled. “Good, good. Speaking of that though, I heard you went for another check-up the other day?”

Isabella nodded, sipping at her flavored water.

“Kitten and I were due for one this month, and we find it easier to go together since she already works at the hospital. I was a little concerned because I’d been feeling… oh, hot and cold lately? At just, these random times of day.”

“Ah, hot flashes.” Fenris’ mind supplied. “Anders has been getting those every once in awhile. I’ve yet to get them, but my feet ache something awful. Been trying to keep them elevated when I lay down or prop them up when we’re in the den, watching something. But other than that, you’ve been good? I know you weren’t quite keen on the idea of actually being pregnant when we first started out.”

Isabela set down her mug and shrugged, leaning against the nearby table.

“I mean, it still sucks sometimes. The swelling and shifting gravity are odd, but Kitten loves to rub my belly and sing to the babies and such and it’s kind of cute. Like, I’m still terrified of the day these little rugrats’ll be wanting to be out in the world, but until then… things are… alright. I actually kind of like getting into maternity fashion. Some of their winter things are pretty cute if you know where to shop. Kitten is absolutely _adorable_ in a trench coat and tights with that belly of hers.”

Fenris chuckled, finally making the effort to sit up and face Isabela, wiggling a little until he got into a comfortable position.

“Anders looks good in a trench coat too. I prefer these cardigans. They’re… light, and breathable, but still warm. And they don’t chafe as much.” He made a face, and Isabela giggled. “You’ve got the cutest little outie, by the way. I saw Anders’ picture on Instagram.” Fenris groaned, pinching at the bridge of his nose.

“I _told_ him not to post that. But you and his mother both agree on that, just in case you wanted to know.”

“Aren’t they leaving soon, now that Wintersend’s over?”

Fenris nodded. “Varania left yesterday because she has her job to get back to, and Anders’ parents will be heading back at the start of the weekend. Ugh, I can’t wait.” He chuckled, feeling the rumble of it through his sensitive chest. “Not that they’re terrible people, I quite like his parents. I just… want the house to ourselves for as long as we can have it before these little ones come along.”

“Also, you’re horny as fuck and you don’t want to let the parents know that anymore than they already do.”

He grunted and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, that. I’m so glad he and I decided to take off work for, uh… maternity leave? Paternity leave? Either way, We’re doing that together next month so we can just… have that time together for awhile and enjoy being just us until the time comes when we won’t be, anymore.”

Fenris felt a swell of emotion in his chest that he couldn’t name that brought tears to his eyes at the thought of actually being able to hold the child he was carrying.

He rubbed at his eyes. “Hormones. I keep crying at the drop of a hat now, too. For some reason I can’t listen to _The Red Jennys_ anymore without bawling.”

Isabela snorted. “Merrill’s been watching this one movie about this cat and two dogs trying to find their way back home to their owners and the part where the cat falls into a river just gets me, everytime. So I know what you mean.”

“Huh. I think I’ve seen that one. Anders has been watching it too, though he cried at that part _before_ he was pregnant, so I’m not sure if his tears are because of that or he just hates seeing cats in peril.” Isabela’s snort turned into an outright peal of laughter at that one. Fenris was about to continue, but then his phone alarm went off, letting him know his break was over.

“Well, this was nice,” he began, carefully extracting himself from the couch and collecting his things. “But I believe I have some of your reports to proofread.”

“Hey!” She scowled, but he could see the teasing smirk hiding underneath. “I’ve been better lately!” Fenris shot her a smirk of his own. “So you have been, but I still want to keep the boss happy. Her wedding is coming up soon, isn’t it?”

Isabela’s eyebrow rose a little as she thought about it. “Oh yeah, it is. Maker. I’m gonna have to go to that while heavily pregnant aren’t I? Damn. Only good thing about weddings is the drinks and the sex afterward.”

“And the food,” Fenris pointed out. “Donnic is sparing no expense on good food, since he knows there’ll be quite a few of us there who are eating for two.”

She seemed to concede that point to him.

“Well, at least there’ll be cake.” She eyed the couch with some degree of interest. “Think I could sneak in a quick nap before the day’s out?”

“Set yourself an alarm first,” he warned her as he stuffed all of his trash in one of the bins. “Otherwise you’ll be regretting it later. The couch is deceptively comfy and not all that great on your back.”

“Oh yeah, right.” She reached for her mug and took another sip of water. “Alright. You go have fun with my reports then.”

“I will,” he replied, with as much seriousness as he could muster.

He heard her snickering on his way out, though he couldn’t help but allow a smile of his own as he walked back to his desk to start in on those reports.

* * *

 

“We’ll come back around come Bloomingtide, alright?” Brigitta insisted, gently patting at Anders’ cheek as they stood outside their home the following weekend, with Hans packing their things in the back of their rental car.

“And don’t you tell me no, young man. I know you say your people have plans in place for when so many births are bound to happen at once, but if you both go into labor at the same time you’ll need some support, you know.”

Anders nodded. “Oh, I know Mother. I wouldn’t dream of telling you know about that sort of thing. Just, be safe heading home, okay?”

“Of course, dear.” She gave him a kiss on either side of his face and then pulled him into a hug at just the baby gave a swift kick. “Oh!” Anders gasped, chuckling. “I guess this little one wants to say goodbye too. Huh? Don’t you, sweetheart?” Anders felt his face split into a stupidly goofy grin, but he just couldn’t help it. His heart just swelled with love for the child growing inside as he stroked his belly gingerly.

Brigitta sighed contentedly. “Sweet thing’s not even born yet and you’re already head over heels, aren’t you?”

Anders nodded sheepishly, feeling his face flush.

“Yeah. Yeah, I really am.”

Beside him, Fenris nodded. “Me too,” the elf agreed shyly. “I don’t even know why, I just… do.”

Brigitta shrugged. “It happens sometimes. It did with me. From the moment I felt that first movement, I was in love with this one here.” She clasped the part of Anders’ shoulder that she could reach. “You’re going to be wonderful parents, you two. I promise you that.”

They all looked over when they heard the slam of the trunk that signalled everything had been packed up and Hans was walking over to them.

“Everything inside?” Brigitta asked her husband, and Hans nodded. “Yup! All packed. Time to head out or we’ll miss our flight.” He locked eyes with Anders and pulled him in for a hug as Brigitta gave her hug and kisses to Fenris. When Hans released Anders, he gave Fenris a quick hug and a pat on the shoulder.

“We’ll definitely be back come Bloomingtide,” he told them as Brigitta took a place at his side. “My company’s moving my office to here on the island, and they want all of their best staff to move with it, so we’re probably going to be closer to reach in a couple of months.”

“That is most fortunate,” Fenris agreed, nodding thoughtfully. “It will definitely help once the babies are born, to have family not far away who can help out.”

“Agreed,” Hans concurred. “Well, in the meantime, you boys take care of yourselves. Enjoy a house without your pesky family around to hear you.”

“Hans…” Brigitta drawled, but Anders and Fenris both chuckled.

“Honestly, mother, he’s not wrong,” Anders chuffed. “Much as I love you…”

“Alright, alright,” she cut him off, waving a hand at him. “Bye, dears. Take care.”

“You too, Brigitta,” Fenris murmured. “Hans.”

The older man nodded and a few more hugs and kisses were exchanged before Anders and Fenris stood on the cobblestone path that led from their driveway to the main door as they watched Hans and Brigitta get into the rental car and drive off. They remained that way in comfortable silence until Fenris started shifting on his feet.

“Alright, I’m cold. My feet hurt. Let’s go back inside.”

Anders chuckled, rubbing at Fenris’ shoulders. “How about we watch a movie in the den? We’ll put together some snacks, you can put up your feet and I’ll give you a nice little massage…”

“Mmm, that sounds nice,” Fenris hummed as they walked back inside, Fenris closing the door behind him. Anders went to the kitchen to assemble a plate of assorted snacks for them while Fenris wandered into the den and carefully squatted next to the shelving that held all their DVDs and their small yet growing collection of Blu-Rays.

In the kitchen, Anders couldn’t help but sample some of the snacks as he put together the tray, causing him to flush a little when he caught himself doing it. He laughed softly, glancing down at the swell of his belly.

“You must be hungry again,” he cooed. “Well, I need to take care of your father’s feet first, then we can eat, ok?” He rubbed his belly through his hoodie and sighed softly before picking up the tray of snacks and making his way to the den.

Once he rounded the corner, he could see that Fenris already had a movie up and was reclining with his feet elevated on the table in front of the couch, a large throw pillow keeping them propped up. Anders grinned when he saw the start menu of the movie onscreen. “The Cat Returns?” He commented sweetly, “Fenris, you’re so wonderful.”

Fenris’ lips cracked into the tiniest of smiles. “Isabela mentioned Homeward Bound to me the other day and I thought perhaps we should watch something about cats, though not something that would make you cry.” Anders chuckled. “And so thoughtful. What did I do to deserve you?”

Anders set down the plate of snacks on the coffee table, gesturing to the selection while Fenris put the closed captioning on and pressed play.

“What would you like to start with? Food or a foot rub?”

“Food please,” Fenris answered, and procured a paper plate from… somewhere. “One, no. Two of everything. I know we just ate a little while ago but now I’m starving again.”

Anders grunted as he took the plate and loaded it with what he could. “No, no, I know. I’m ravenous too. The perils of having to eat for two, I guess.” Fenris procured a second paper plate from somewhere – “Where are you _hiding_ those things, Fenris?” – and Anders loaded that plate for himself, snuggling against Fenris as the two of them consumed the entire tray over the course of the first half of the movie.

“Foot rubs now?” Anders asked, as onscreen the Baron was beginning to dance with the girl who’d saved the Prince of Cats.

Fenris didn’t seem inclined to move, but eventually he acquiesced and Anders scooted back towards the other end of the couch as far as Fenris moved to lie lengthwise and place his feet into what remained of Anders’ lap.

Not that there was much lap left these days, since Anders had had quite the growth spurt the the week following their baby shower; he was beginning to get very round indeed. Still, he made do and settled Fenris’ feet against his stomach and very gingerly began to massage him, beginning with his toes.

“I can feel her kicking,” Fenris mumbled sleepily as Anders moved on to the inner soles of the feet. Anders chuckled. “She’s getting to be very active lately. I kind of like it, but not when I’m trying to sleep.” Fenris hummed in acknowledgement. “Those body pillows that Isabela and Merrill donated us have been _fantastic_. Also, I’m very glad they sent some of their generic patterned ones and not the ones with any of Merrill’s favorite anime characters.”

“I dunno, I think Falon’Din is kind of hot. Though that’s mostly cause he reminds me of you.”

Fenris merely groaned and shook his head, though that was quickly followed up by a soft moan as Anders’ fingers dug gently into the heels of Fenris’ feet. Anders chuckled.

“I’m guessing that felt good, huh. Have you been hiding a foot fetish from me, Fenris?”

“Nope, just love the feel of your hands on my skin. ‘s very nice.”

Anders’ hands began to wander after that, moving to Fenris’ ankles, then his calves…

“You know, if you want to do that sort of massage, we should probably do that in the bedroom,” Fenris chuckled drowsily, still hovering on that edge between asleep and awake. “Much as it was fun to have sex on the couch before, it might be a bit more difficult now.” Fenris stroked his belly a few times before adjusting his maternity jeans which looked to be getting a bit tight, at least if the tent in them was anything to go by.

Anders grinned, reaching for the remote and pausing the movie. “Are you sure you’re up for that, love? You look almost done in.”

“Keep massaging further up and you’ll see just how done in I am,” Fenris snarked, shaking himself and looking a little more awake than before. Anders crawled over him to capture his lips in a kiss and couldn’t help but laugh into it a little. “Heh. Look at us. My parents haven’t even been gone two hours and we just want to get into each other’s pants so bad.”

“We were able to manage, what, a couple of quick handjobs at night if we were quiet? Of course I’m horny as fuck. I want you so bad.”

“Think you can still take me?” Anders asked excitedly. “We might have to do it doggy style or in a reverse cowgirl, but… I really want it. I want to feel you.”

Fenris grinned. “I think I can manage that,” he purred. “Bedroom. Now.”

Anders scrambled off the couch and turned off the TV, turning back around to help Fenris up as they stumbled to the bedroom together, occasionally bumping into a wall or chair as they were so wrapped up in each other’s kisses and wandering touches. One of those touches brushed Anders’ erection through his pants and he groaned softly into Fenris’ mouth, his breathing coming so hot and heavy already.

“Maker, once you’re finished stretching me I don’t think I’m gonna last long,” he confessed as they closed the bedroom door and Fenris pinned Anders against it. “I’m already so wound up from just kisses and touches. Maker. Oh…” He moaned as Fenris pressed against him and slipped a leg between his own, just barely able to get it in further enough for him to rut against.

He really wasn’t going to last long. At this rate he was going to cum in his pants if he didn’t get them off soon enough.

On impulse his hands reached for the waistband of his pants, thumbing underneath the rim so he could get at his underwear too. He pushed down in one go, at least managing to get them to just above mid-thigh and free his already aching cock, even if he couldn’t see it the cool air still felt amazing. Fenris chuckled, getting the message and helping him get them all the way down so he could step out of them, though not without pausing to give his cock a lick or two in the process. Anders groaned, not bothering to be quiet now that he knew they were alone in the house as he pressed himself up against the door to support his shaking legs.

“Fenris!” He cried out, panting. “Sweet maker, I might not make it through even a stretching…”

Below him, Fenris chuckled, the sound of it going straight through his heart and to his cock as he felt it twitch. “You did me such a favor, rubbing my feet just a moment ago,” Fenris murmured, face getting dangerously close to his cock again.He reached up and pushed Anders’ shirt and hoodie so it stayed rucked up on the swell of his belly, leaving only his eyes and the top of his head visible to Anders.

“I think I’ll just take the edge off a little, to help you out. Then I’ll drag you to bed and let you lie there while I finger you senseless.”

“Oh, that sounds so good,” Anders panted, gently clutching at his belly and digging in his heels so he could press against the door for more support. Then, he felt more than saw Fenris’ tongue start to give his length teasing nips and kisses, licking long stripes up and down the vein on the underside. Then Fenris hummed in pleasure as he started to take the tip into his mouth, being careful with his teeth as he stroked Anders’ length with his tongue.

Anders’ back arched slightly and his hips jerked, though he was careful not to push too much, knowing Fenris wasn’t going to be able to deepthroat him anyway given the swell of his belly. So he just let the warmth in his blood sweep through him as Fenris sucked him off and massaged his inner thighs all at once. The twin sensations only spiked his sensitivity into overdrive and had him coming with a soft, breathless cry, leaving him panting harshly against the door while he struggled to stay standing on trembling legs.

Fenris stood, now also without his pants and underwear as he’d apparently been working on removing them whilst keeping Anders occupied with his own pleasure, and began leading Anders to the bed. Anders fell back against the sheets, muscles loose and relaxed and Maker, he was so damn happy it had to be a crime.

What was also a crime was how Fenris looked with his cum dribbling down his chin since Anders hadn’t been able to give him any warning.

“Sorry about that,” Anders mumbled sheepishly. “It just sort of snuck up on me.”

Fenris grinned, wiping off the excess cum with a towel he’d fished out from the drawer in his nightstand. “No, it was good. I’m always happy just seeing you get off. Now all I want is for you to lie there and let me open you up, alright? Maybe I’ll even take long enough for you to cum a second time?”

“Maker, Fenris,” Anders huffed, laughing into his cat print body pillow. “You’re going to kill me. But please, go ahead. Kill me slowly, softly, whatever.”

“I wouldn’t dream of that,” Fenris told him seriously, reaching a hand over Anders to press his palm against a spot where the baby was being visibly active. “Not anymore, at least. But I still think I want to take my time with you.” Anders was practically vibrating with pleasure with that image in mind, though tears still sprung to his eyes at Fenris’ gesture. He sniffled, which seemed to give Fenris cause to stop with his lubed fingers just barely teasing the rim of his entrance…

“No, it’s okay, Fen, I’m alright. Your concern is just… really touching, is all.”

Fenris chuckled briefly and said, just before continuing, “If you are certain, my love.”

He eased one finger in as he knelt behind Anders, and even after having already cum once, the intruding digit was still able to wring a reaction out of his dick.

“Maker,” Anders breathed, moving one leg up to give Fenris better access, “it’s like being a teenager again, I’m so horny.”

“How much are you willing to bet though that goes away the second we’re done for the night?”

“Everything. I’m gonna be feeling _all_ of this later, I’m sure.”

Fenris laughed again and inserted a second finger, scissoring them a couple times before searching for the prostate. It didn’t take too long for him to find, and Anders couldn’t help but throw his head back and writhe a little on his side under the stimulation. He tried to speak but realized he was reduced just to babbling Fenris’ name, so he switched to moaning instead.

His husband kept him there for a while, eventually removing his hand to re-apply the lube to add a third and fourth finger.

“You look about ready,” Fenris whispered in his ear after awhile, low and soft. “Would you like to ride me or are we doing this doggy style?”

Anders whined as Fenris removed his fingers. “I think reverse cowgirl would work best, since I don’t know if I can hold myself up long enough for doggy style.” He looked back at Fenris, who nodded and reclined on his side of the bed, stroking his own length with his still lubed hand. “Well?” he asked, offering Anders a teasing smirk, “What are you waiting for?”

Anders growled, and, with practiced precision, spread his cheeks wide as he seated himself on Fenris. Behind him, he could hear the elf groan with pleasure and he himself hissed a little as Fenris’ cock opened him up a little wider than his fingers.

He could also feel a little of the swell of Fenris’ belly pressing against his lower back, now exposed when Fenris had pushed his shirt and hoodie further up. Something about that sensation caused a piece of his heart to melt and pool in a puddle on the floor, and he sped up his movements as fast as he felt he could go. Fenris, in turn, thrust harder, and Anders could hear the change in his breathing that signaled he was close.

Anders grasped his dick and began pumping it to speed things along, working it to full hardness at last as Fenris’ hand grasped his hips and urged him on.

“You’re… close…” Anders panted.

Fenris grunted affirmatively, but apparently didn’t trust himself to speak. Anders grinned. He loved it when he could reduce Fenris to silence like that.

Soon his world was just reduced to Fenris’ hands on his hips, the dick in his ass, and the occasional flutter in his belly. It jiggled slightly with his movements, but he loved the sensation of it, the pleasure just spurring him on as he tugged at his own cock. Eventually after one too many hits to the prostate, Anders cried out and spilled over his hand, clamping down hard on Fenris in the hopes of enhancing his husband’s pleasure.

Fenris came with a choked half-cry of Anders’ name and Anders felt the wet heat of Fenris’ release spill inside him. He rode Fenris until his husband gave his hips a gentle squeeze, and he pulled himself off and away with as much care as he could muster. Fenris somehow managed to reach over and find the towel from earlier, handing it to Anders so he could clean up a bit. Afterward they lay there together on their sides, cuddling their body pillows and facing one another.

“So,” Fenris whispered with a soft smile, “was it worth the wait?”

“Maker,” Anders replied in kind, huffing a spark of laughter through his nose, “you are always worth waiting for, Fenris.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I don't know what kind of band _The Red Jennys_ actually are, but I do know they make pregnant Fenris cry when he tries to listen to them. (shrugs)
> 
> And apparently the elven pantheon is now an anime of some description because I already know I've mentioned Merrill having a Dread Wolf body pillow, lol. (Totally not basing Anders' attraction to Falon'Din on AndrastesKnickerweasele's fic, [Through Shapless Worlds and Airless Skies](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6268156), nope. :P)


	8. Drakonis (7th Month)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is what happens when I have a whole weekend off work and the inspiration to write. This week's Fourth of July though and Dad's off camping so it's going to be a wait and see game for whether or not I'll have enough energy to write more, but I'm satisfied with the progress so far.
> 
> There are references galore to many of my favorite pieces of media in this one. There's a bingo prize in it if you can spot them all. ;)

There was a knock on the frame of Anders’ office door the evening that he was packing up his things before heading home to begin his leave from work. He glanced up, catching sight of Justice in the doorway, white coat as immaculate as ever.

“Good evening,” Justice rumbled in greeting. “I thought I should come by to see if you were in need of assistance in moving your things.”

Anders straightened from his current position stooped over a box full of files and groaned softly as he did so, putting one hand to the small of his back when he felt a twinge of pain there. “Ah, actually, perhaps some help would be welcome.” He rolled his neck around a bit to work out a kink in the muscle as he glanced down at himself, his hands moving on impulse to cradle the now large swell of his belly. 

“You know, I expected the whole looking as though I’d swallowed a basketball thing, but I don’t think I could’ve anticipated how it would actually feel.” He smiled sheepishly at Justice, who let himself in at Anders’ admission. “It appears as though you are almost done, though those files look heavy. Where would you like them?”

“Ah, right under the desk there, if you don’t mind,” Anders gibbered as he stepped back to watch Justice work. He whistled softly when the older man took off his coat and placed it gingerly on the coat rack that had come with the office – presumably Justice had put it there to begin with – his muscles rippling slightly underneath the dark blue button up he’d been wearing beneath it.

“You know Justice,” he remarked slyly as the other man was shoving the box underneath the spot in his desk he’d pointed out earlier, “if I weren’t married with a couple children on the way I might just swoon at having a tall, muscled man doing such heavy lifting for little old me.” 

Justice chuckled. “I’m also almost ten years your senior, too, so there’s that.” Anders made a soft noise of agreement and nodded. “True. I still have eyes, though, and Maker your muscles are a thing of beauty, my friend.”

“So also says my, uh… the person I’ve been, um. Dating.”

“Oh ho! You’ve been seeing someone, Justice?” Anders flashed his mentor a grin, earning a quiet grumble from Justice. “It’s… very new. And not at all what I was expecting. Mardra is… appreciative of my looks and knows about my job here, but doesn’t much care about either of those things. In fact, she and I are both… we share an aversion to sexual encounters and that is sort of how we began speaking more frequently with one another.”

“Well I’m happy for you,” Anders told him honestly. “I hope things work out for you two.”

He glanced about the room, looking for anything he might need help with other than the boxes he’d already stack on the dolly next to the door.

“I think that’s the only thing left… honestly, you’re not the first person to have dropped in to help me today,” Anders chuckled sheepishly, running a hand through his hair. Justice shrugged, and a rare smirk made its way onto his face. “I figured, but I thought I should come by regardless. Here, just so I can say I made myself useful, I’ll take the dolly out to your car.”

“Thanks, Justice. I appreciate it. Oh, and I wanted to thank you for those rocking chairs you brought to the baby shower; Fenris and I have been getting quite a bit of use out of them already. They’re uh, really good for back relief apparently.” 

Anders made sure everything was turned off and put away one last time, making sure to pull Justice’s coat off of the rack before handing it to him and locking the door behind him.

“Even though I’m sure you have another key, I figured you wouldn’t want to leave that here.”

“Oh, yes, thank you. And you’re welcome for the chairs. Your mother was the one who suggested those actually, and I agreed that they would be a good choice.”

“Yet another thing to thank Mother for,” Anders mused, rolling his eyes good-naturedly. 

Justice and Anders walked to the elevators, making pleasant conversation as Anders pulled out some jerky from his pockets. Justice seemed amused by this, pointing it out as they walked out onto the floor of the garage where Anders usually parked. 

“I just kind of keep food in my pockets now,” Anders groused, softly, though there was still a small smile on his face. “Usually something like jerky or a snack bar… though I have been bad on an occasion or two and kept chocolate instead. You know, for when I get that craving.” That earned another chuckle from Justice as they stopped by Anders’ car and he pressed the button on his key fob to open up the trunk.

“The occasional lapse in judgement is fine, I think,” Justice teased, lifting the boxes into the trunk. There were only three of them and they weren’t too terribly heavy. He’d only been doing this to see Anders off after all. 

“I know you’re taking the next fifteen months, but I promise I’ll be by to see you and Fenris when I can.”

Anders nodded. “And I’ll still be doing some work from home, just… you know. Doing digital filing things. Skyping with the occasional patient. All of the things you’ve outlined for me to do as I see fit to do them.”

“And you are absolutely not required to do any of those things. We have some very capable doctors taking over your duties here at the clinic.” 

“Eh, well. Stitches is a good man, I guess. But honestly it’s Wynne and Lirene I trust more than him,” Anders teased, snickering. Justice shrugged. “I have faith in him. I know he can get the job done until you come back from leave. How long is Fenris taking off?” 

“Not as long as me,” Anders answered, leaning against the car a little, “but Aveline is still open to extending his time off if he thinks he needs more than the time he’s already put down.”

“She’s a good woman. Good captain.” Justice sighed softly, and offered one arm out to Anders. “One more hug before you go?”

Anders offered the taller man a smile. “Of course. Come here.” He pulled Justice into a tight side hug since front hugs were now quite out of the question, but the contact felt good nonetheless. Justice picked up the dolly and slung it over his shoulder as Anders walked to the driver’s side door and unlocked the car. 

“Drive home safely, Anders!” He called back as he walked towards the elevators.

“I will, I promise!” Anders replied before ducking into his car and closing the door.

* * *

 

It wasn’t more than a week later that Anders and Fenris were getting dressed for Aveline’s wedding, and Fenris found himself kind of looking forward to it. Even with as large as he was, now well into his seventh month of pregnancy, the suit he’d rented for the occasion fit him well enough and if you hadn’t known he wasn’t normally so rotund, you wouldn’t suspect a thing.

He fussed with his jacket for a little while in front of their bedroom mirror before turning back around to glance at the bathroom door that was slightly ajar.

“Almost ready, Anders?”

“Yes dear, I’m coming,” Anders called out, and Fenris could hear him closing something and setting it down in a hurry. “I just now remembered which color blush works best with this dress, and it took me a moment to find it.”

Fenris blinked at the open door owlishly. Dress?

Then the light in the bathroom went out as the switch was flipped and Anders walked out. Fenris’ jaw nearly dropped at the sight of his husband standing there is a deep blue silk maternity dress that fell down to just past his knees, the top half cutting lengthwise a few inches beneath his collarbones with sleeves that cut off beyond the elbow. His hair was down and if Fenris wasn’t mistaken, he’d shaved his legs, too.

“Do you like it?” Anders asked, walking over to stand beside him next to the mirror so that he could pick from his small collection of earrings and put one in. Fenris fumbled with his tongue, trying to find his words. Anders side-eyed him and smirked. “You do like it, don’t you?”

Fenris cleared his throat. “It’s um. Just been awhile since I’ve seen you wear one. I think the last time was… our anniversary? At that murder mystery dinner hosted by Cousland Castle?”

“Oh, that’s right, I think that was the last time. Hmm. Well, I’m glad you like it, though I won’t be wearing heels tonight like I did then. I’ve got a nice pair of elevated flats that I broke in a couple months back instead. More comfortable that way, and I’m less likely to lose my balance.” 

“That’s a good idea, yes.” Fenris agreed. 

Anders turned to him and looked him over once. “I like the cut of that suit, myself. It’s a shame you only rented it.” Fenris raised an eyebrow. “Well, as long as we’re careful, I don’t have to bring it back for another week. We could still… maybe have fun with it.” 

“Oh, I like how you think.” Anders purred, giggling a bit. “So, are you driving or shall I?”

“I’ll drive tonight, I suppose,” Fenris relented. “I know how hard it is to drive in a dress, so I can’t imagine doing it while pregnant.”

“I am wearing briefs, Fen, I don’t intend on giving anyone a show. But I suppose yes, it’ll probably be a mite more difficult driving in a dress while pregnant, so you go ahead.” He picked up his phone, keys, and some wrapped pieces of jerky and stuffed them… somewhere in the folds of the dress. Fenris shot him a curious look.

“What? I never buy dresses until I know they have pockets… or they’re the kind of dress I can sew my own pockets onto. Besides, a purse would ruin the elegant look I’ve got going on and I just… didn’t want to, you know?”

“Well you still might be getting ruined later it I’m still up for it after the reception.”

“Ooh, so spicy. Really, I do need to wear dresses more often if they do this to you.”

Fenris just shook his head and gave Anders a quick peck on the cheek. On their way out, the pair of them pet the sleeping Ser Pounce, who was lazing on their bedroom sofa, and gave the cat a quick couple of kisses goodbye before they headed out.

* * *

 

“That was a beautiful ceremony, Aveline,” Fenris began as he and Anders walked arm in arm next to the newlyweds’ table at the reception following the wedding.

Aveline flushed, though she did manage to clear her throat and catch his gaze. 

“You’re, uh, you’re quite welcome, Fenris. I am.. Ah. Glad you could make it. And you as well, Anders.” She glanced at Anders next to him, and he gave her a little wave when he noticed her looking. “I tried to wear something… you know, subdued, so I didn’t steal your show, you know? It’s your day today, not mine. Already had mine.” He flashed her a brilliant smile and she snorted.

“I certainly hope so! What with both of you very pregnant with each other’s children.”

Anders’ smile turned into the most wicked of cheeky grins. “True, true. Well, I think Fenris and I will leave you be to go consume half of the buffet before you cut the cake. Everything just smells absolutely  _ divine _ .”

“Well please, enjoy!” Donnic encouraged them. “I did my best to keep in mind that we would have quite a few guests eating for two tonight.”

“And our children thank you,” Fenris added dryly. “Do enjoy the rest of your evening, my friend.”

Fenris let himself be tugged away from the table toward the plates of warm food laid out for the guests to come and take as they pleased. Anders took a tray and two large plates, immediately going down the line and filling up on just about everything. Fenris took just as many plates, though he was a little more selective… until he stopped at a pan full of garlic encrusted fish.

His mouth began to water, stomach gurgling. He glanced down, sighed, and took a single piece of the offending material before glancing about and finding Anders sat down at a table with Merrill, Isabela, Zevran, and Athros. 

Fenris slid into the seat between Anders and Merrill, giving a courteous nod to everyone at the table. “Good evening, everyone,” he greeted them, to which they all mostly responded in kind.

“Ooh, you’ve got some fish!” Merrill exclaimed cheerily, and Fenris’ lips pursed. “Yes, I do. What of it?”

“I thought you hated fish.”

“I do. I’ve been betrayed by my own child.”

Anders snorted. “Payback for the pineapple chicken, darling.” He pressed a kiss to Fenris’ cheek and gave him a gentle nuzzle with his nose. “You’re fine, just ignore them.” Fenris chuckled and did exactly that, starting with the fish he’d just been hit with a craving for. 

“So, um, as I was saying,” Athros piped up from the other side of the table, “I was wondering if all of you would join Zevran and I at one of those… you know, those classes where they teach to how to prepare for birth and stuff? I mean, you don’t have to if you don’t want to, but… it’d give us an excuse to spend time together and then go out and eat some awful greasy things afterward.”

Isabela took a bite from a spicy chicken and rice dish she’d loaded half a plate with, chewing it carefully and swallowing before answering. 

“Anything involving awfully greasy food usually sounds like a good time,” she purred. “What do you think, Kitten?” 

“Oh, it does sound like fun, yes! All of us going out and doing something together… we should keep that up if we can after the babies are born, so that they can all grow up together and be best friends! That’s how it was with my family you know. Everyone was just sort of raised by everyone.”

She paused, glancing at Anders and Fenris. “What do you think? Would you like to do something like that?”

Fenris turned to look at Anders, who tilted his head in Fenris’ direction. “I mean, I’d do it, but only if you want to.”

“Putting this all on me, are you?” Fenris grunted, and Anders ducked his head, cheeks flushing.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

Fenris returned his earlier kiss cheek and smiled as he pulled away. “It’s fine, Anders. I think it will be good to get out and spend time with our friends while we’re on leave. Much as I’d probably like to, I doubt we should hole up in our house until the babies are born. Let’s do it.”

“That’s so wonderful!” Merrill exclaimed, turning back to Athros. “Will you be arranging this, or…?” 

Athros nodded. “Zev and I know the director for this particular establishment, so we’ll let you know when the classes start and who talk to and everything.”

“And of course, where the best greasy food is,” added Zevran, sipping a glass of something red and bubbly. Isabela sighed wistfully. “It’s such a pity that I can’t drink any of the things that go best with greasy foods. You’re so lucky, Zevran.”

Zevran chuckled. “Actually, this is cherry soda. I swore off wine and all alcohol for as long as my dear  _ amor _ can’t have any. You know, solidarity and all that.”

Isabela narrowed her eyes at him, smirking.

“I’m not sure whether to believe you…”

“Oh, he absolutely is telling the truth,” Athros confessed, taking Zevran’ glass and sipping at it. He even gave it a little lick when he pulled away that had the pupils in Zevran’s eyes widening as he handed it back before continuing. “Just before I went in to see Anders about my blood work, this bottle of Antivan Red arrived that he’d ordered ages ago. Once we learned I was pregnant, he promised that he wouldn’t drink a drop of it, or anything else for that matter, until I was able to do so again. The bottle’s still sitting on the counter, unopened.”

“And it shall stay that way for at least a couple months,” Zevran murmured, scooting close and nuzzling Athros’ hair. 

“Well, technically I can have a glass or two when I’m nursing, just only afterwards, not before.”

“Still, one can never be too careful.”

“Athros is right, though,” Anders interjected beside Fenris, “but if you still want to abstain, feel free. Just, you know, keep everything in moderation. Read everything.”

“Speaking of,” Fenris muttered, “I want to go by the bookstore tomorrow.”

“What for? I think we have every book on parenting for dummies that we possibly can… my mother was pretty thorough.” Fenris snorted. “No, I mean…”

“Oh. You want one of  _ those _ books? I mean, I think Varric just published another volume of Swords and Shields if you want to wait for that.”

Fenris groaned. “Anders…”

Anders grinned, laughing softly. “Alright, alright. We’ll go. I’ve been wanting to look for some new stories, myself. Since we’re going to have so much time, I figure now’s a good time as any to catch up on some series I’ve forgotten to keep up with.”

On Merrill’s other side, Isabela hummed thoughtfully. “Kitten and I have a bunch of things to watch that we’ve been putting off. Haven’t we, dear?”

“Oh yes, there’s so many things on Netflix I want to show you! Especially some of the dirty things. You’ll  _ really _ like Sense8, ‘Bela. Also, I think there’s a new season of Food Wars on CrunchyRoll. We need to catch up on that.” 

“Sense8 is indeed very good,” Zevran agreed. “It’s a wonder how you haven’t seen it yet, Isabela.” 

She shrugged. “Investigative work keeps me busy, so sometimes I miss things. I’m looking forward to it though if both of you give it such high praise.”

Fenris smiled to himself as he tucked into his food earnestly, letting the conversation wash over him. At some point the cake was cut, the bouquet was thrown… right into the waiting hands of a dark skinned woman with an Antivan accent. She blushed a bit when the Qunari woman next to her stooped to whisper something in her ear and there was some amount of squealing and then the bouquet was forgotten in favor of rather racy kiss.

Anders whistled quietly beside him, bringing him yet another piece of cake. 

“Hey, what do you say we eat this, take some more home, and see what we can do about that ruining you were talking about earlier?”

Fenris snorted. “I should maybe not eat anymore cake, then. Otherwise I might just fall asleep before I’m about to get out of this suit.” 

Anders chuckled. “True. I’m still going to see if I can take half of one of the cakes home anyway. Donnic’s encouraging people to take as much as they want, and this buttercream icing is  _ amazing _ . I need to taste it more to see if I can recreate the recipe.”

“Truly, you will be a terror to all pastry chefs everywhere if you can unlock the secret to a good buttercream.”

“Honestly, Fenris, you have no idea how right you are.”

Fenris shook his head and laughed silently to himself as he watched Anders go back to talk to Donnic across the hall and together they boxed up half an entire cake, a small tub of the mac n cheese with bacon and something else Fenris couldn’t identify. He stood when Anders came back, glancing over the bags that Donnic had given him to carry everything.

“You think we’re good on leftovers for a couple days?” he asked, raising one eyebrow. 

Anders smiled sheepishly. “Donnic was the one who talked me into it, and you know I have a weakness for gourmet pasta with bacon.”

“Well, let’s head out, then. I’ll do my best to stay awake long enough to ravish you when we get home.”

“Also, maybe stay long enough to drive home, too.”

“Ah yes, of course.”

Anders grinned, and together the two of them slipped out as Isabela and Merrill were dancing to something light and upbeat while Zevran and Athros claimed a nice dark corner of the hall to make out in. 

They still ended up falling asleep as soon as they’d crawled into bed, but at least they were warm, full, and very happy indeed.

* * *

 

The next morning came bright and early, though neither Anders or Fenris seemed willing to bother getting up until at least noon.

“Maker, we should not do that again,” Anders mumbled as he reheated some of the leftovers from the wedding for himself and Fenris. “That was just… too decadent.”

“What, the cake or the sleeping in until noon?”

“Mmm, both.”

Fenris chuckled. “You know we’re going to do it anyway. At least whenever these two behave and let their papas sleep.” He poked gently at his bare belly which was sticking far out of the robe that Fenris was wearing, the soft cotton ties just barely able to tie over the roundness of it. Anders’ eyes roamed over him appreciatively, knowing he wasn’t wearing anything else besides the robe, while he himself was only clad in the briefs he’d worn under the dress last night.

“Yeah, I suppose,” Anders agreed. “We only have so many of those days left. Should take them where we can get them.”

They ate breakfast (or lunch, rather) in silence before they returned to the bedroom to go get dressed and they headed out to find their local bookstore. Anders waved at Dagna as they came in, even stopping to say hi and chat for a bit while Fenris wandered off to go find whatever books he was looking for.

“So you’re looking very well,” Dagna chirped cheerily. “Got some babies on the way, I see. You must be participating in that trial, huh?” Anders nodded. “We both are, yeah. It’s good to see you again, dear. Say, you wouldn’t happen to have some of the Mercy Thompson novels, would you? I’ve missed the last couple of installments and want to catch up.”

“Oh, of course we do! Here, let me show you where they are.”

Anders picked up a couple titles he’d been meaning to catch up on, plus a few new ones. He tucked them all into the basket he’d picked up and wandered a bit until he found Fenris sitting on the floor of the children’s section, just completely absorbed in a small book that looked like a retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

“Hmm, hello darling,” he cooed softly, trying to get Fenris’ attention. Sharp elf ears twitched and he looked up as Anders slowly lowered himself to sit down next to Fenris and looked over the book he was reading.

“Hey, that’s a good one. You know, she’s got two retellings of that story, and they’re both fantastic. There’s a Sleeping Beauty one too that’s amazing.” Fenris glanced between him and the book with one eyebrow raised. “Really? That’s wild.”

“Yeah. Want to see if Dagna has any of them in stock? Oh, and there’s another one that I liked that was… kind of a Cinderella, um, reimaging, I suppose. With a kind of princess charming instead of a prince. Also there were faeries involved, somehow. And don’t even get me started in on all of the various Alice in Wonderland ones.”

“I had no idea there were so many.”

“Fairy tales are a great playpen for writers to experiment with. Any particular reason you’re looking for retellings?”

Fenris chuckled sheepishly. “I’ve been reading some of that fairy tale anthology you bought back when you were trying to find your recipe book. They reminded me that I read this one a few years ago and I remembered seeing it here last time I came by.”

Anders offered him a small, tender smile. “It’s a good one. Here, let me see if I can get back up so we can see if Dagna has any more of her books.” 

With only a small degree of struggle, the two managed to get back to their feet and located Dagna. The red headed dwarf was only too happy to help them find what they were looking for, and eventually they walked out of the store with whole armfuls of books.

Fenris flushed a little when he noticed how many they’d bought. 

“Do we even have room for them on our shelves?” he asked, but Anders nodded reassuringly.

“We do. And even if we didn’t we also have a huge empty top half of a dresser we’re not using for anything, and a couple shelves in the den with nothing on them… there’s plenty of space.” Anders chuckled. “We should maybe cool it with the spending money on books for a bit, though. That was quite the chunk of change.”

Fenris snorted. “But worth it.”

“So very worth it, yeah. Still, it can get to be an expensive pastime if you’re not careful.”

“True. I am satisfied for today, though. Now I just want to go home and curl up in one of the rocking chairs with one of these.”

Anders hummed thoughtfully. “I think I’ll join you. I’m down for a nice, quiet day inside doing some reading.”

So they took the books home and began to put some of them away. Then when they were ready, Fenris headed to the nursery while Anders assembled another plate of snacks for in case they got hungry, bringing his own book along. Then they settled in for a nice afternoon of reading as the sounds of a spring storm sprung up outside, cocooning them from the rest of the world, if only for a little while.

Anders did his best to relish these moments of quiet, since he knew the time was quickly approaching where they would be few and far in between. As excited as he was for that day to come, little moments like these were beautiful and precious and he wasn’t going to give them up quite just yet.

When he noticed that Fenris had dozed off in his chair, he reached over to brush a lock of Fenris’ white hair out of his eyes, doing his best not to wake him.

Beautiful and precious indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Justice is indeed dating a modern version of Mardra from Mikkeneko's [ONE ELEGANT SOLUTION](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5673073/chapters/13068979). She won't be making an appearance, but I just thought I'd give a nod to one of my favorite fics. 
> 
> (mumbles) I still need to finish watching the update to Sense8. I've been trying to crank out chapters for this instead, lol.


	9. Cloudreach (8th Month)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which discussions are had, the boys go in for a checkup and meet with an old mentor of Anders', and Anders has a moment of doubt before Fenris cheers him up with the aid of Ser Pounce.

Fenris stared at the surprisingly long list of questions that they’d been given to discuss after their latest session of childbirth prep classes that they’d been taking with their friends. In the beginning it had been mostly what he’d expected, a few exercises for the heavily pregnant, breathing coaching, and whatnot.

He hadn’t expected the one on one sessions with the trained counselors and other professionals that were helping them with everything from laying out birth plans to deciding whether or not they should use cloth or disposable diapers.

He glanced over at Anders, who was devouring an obscenely greasy meatball sub from the sandwich shop they’d all been going to after the classes let out, and he waved the paper at him.

“You want to answer some of these questions now?” he asked, setting it down and laying his phone on top of it so it wouldn’t blow off the table and across the street towards the ocean boardwalk. Anders set down the sandwich and wiped his hands off with a napkin so he wouldn’t ruin the bright green sundress he was wearing.

(Fenris liked this one. It was long and Anders looked like a Greek goddess while wearing it.)

“Uh, yeah, sure. Why not? What’s the first question?”

“Where does the baby sleep? In the crib, or the bed?”

“Crib. They can cuddle with us when they’re old enough to crawl, but not before.”

“Hmm. No complaints there.”

Fenris scanned the list again, frowning at one question.

“We are absolutely not spanking our children. My stepfather did that often, even well into my adolescent years. It is humiliating.”

Anders sighed, taking a swig of the lemonade he’d gotten with his meal. “Not to mention the kinds of things it does to a child’s developing brain. None of it’s ever good. We’ll find better ways to discipline our children, I promise.”

A loud peal of laughter caught their attention and the two looked up to see Merrill shrieking with laughter and Isabela sprayed her with water from a nearby fountain in the sidewalk meant for cooling off on hot days. Their matching blue maternity dresses were a little soaked from their walk through the water, though they both seemed unfazed. The girls noticed them staring and wandered in their direction, sitting down to get out of the slowly warming spring sun.

“Are you talking over the question sheet?” Merrill asked them, pulling a thermos of what smelled like herbal tea from her bag.

Fenris nodded. “Your last name or mine?”

Anders had to sit back to think about that one. “Well, mine’s awfully hard to pronounce if you just glance at it, but…”

“I’d rather it be yours, honestly,” Fenris told him seriously. “There’s a reason I took your name when we married.” Anders hummed thoughtfully. “That’s true. Well, they’ll just have to deal with it, I guess.” Fenris chuckled. “Speaking of dealing with it, should we give them more traditional names or something… unique?”

“I like unique names, myself,” Isabela drawled, sipping at some water she was, apparently, pretending was vodka if the pink umbrella straw complete with plastic olive was any indication. “Not any crazy spellings, but going with the most popular name of the year is so… droll. Kitten and I have been looking at the least popular names to see which ones we like.”

“That’s not a bad way of going about it,” Anders chuckled. “Perhaps we’ll have that discussion so more at home? It doesn’t seem like something to decide on a whim.”

Fenris hummed in agreement. “Who changes the first diaper?”

“Whoever has the energy to, I would imagine. We’re both going to be tired. It might even be one of my parents, to be honest. You know that Mother’s going to try to be there to help us out in any way she can.”

“Marethari’s coming to help Isabela and I,” Merrill chimed in. “She really took a shine to you when they were over for the holidays.” She put a hand on Isabela’s shoulder and received a small smile in return. “I think the next question’s about bottle or breastfeeding?”

“Sorry Kitten,” Isabela cooed at the dark haired elf beside her. “I think I’ll probably take a pass on the breastfeeding.” Merrill pouted. “But you’ll at least give it a try?” Isabela shrugged, then nodded. “Sure. Once. But if I decide I don’t like it, then I’m pumping everything.” She glanced over at Anders and Fenris.

“Speaking of that, have you…?”

Anders shifted a little, adjusting the pads he had on underneath his sundress. “Male lactation is a real thing, dear. And yes, I’m probably going to give it a try since it’s a little more difficult for Fenris and I to pump our milk. Male pumps probably haven’t hit the market yet even with the trials being as public as the are.” Fenris sighed, gingerly massaging his chest beneath the large red camp shirt he was wearing. “I haven’t started that yet, but I hurt an awful lot these days. The swelling is… noticeable.” Anders turned to him and appeared to all but undress him with his eyes, which made him have to shift to adjust the white maternity capris he had on.

“It is, a little, but that’s only because you like your maternity wear on the tighter side, darling,” Anders teased. “Not that I’m complaining, but maybe you should wear something that’ll let your chest breathe a bit.”

“Noted,” Fenris echoed, looking back at the list. “For the record, I would like to try feeding as well. But let’s see… hmm. Vaccinations are a must…”

Anders scoffed. “Maker help those who think it’s a good idea not to,” he muttered.

“Whose–?” Fenris paused, then chuckled upon reading the next question. “Whose responsibility is it to tell your mother she needs to call before she comes over?”

“Probably me, but not until I’m ready to tell her off and let us off the parental training wheels. There’s no way we’re surviving without her and my father for the first year, maybe two.” Fenris made another sound of agreement. “Seconded on that one,” he replied in kind.

Behind them, a bell jingled and they turned around to see Zevran, dressed in an almost scandalously short pair of booty short jeans and a garish Hawaiian print button up shirt, accompanied by Athros in a flowing, white halter top with lacework on the hem over a pair of maternity skinny jeans. They were holding waffle bowls with at least two scoops of ice cream in them and when Athros spotted them he immediately made a beeline for them.

“Hey, are you discussing some of the questions from the paper they gave us today?”

“Yeah,” Fenris answered, glancing down the list. “Next one’s about godparents, but I think that’s another one meant for a more private discussion, so… ah. Pacifiers or thumb?”

He glanced at Anders, who shrugged. “I mean, we _have_ pacifiers, but I’m not about to force my children to use them if they’re not taking to them well. I’m not a monster.” Fenris chuckled, thinking about the things they’d gotten up to last night in bed. Anders seemed to catch his drift and flashed him a devilish grin. “Well, maybe in bed, I might be.”

Zevran chuckled as he slid into the seat next to Athros. “At least you’re honest,” he remarked.

“Zev, darling,” Isabela groused, “how have the fashion police not arrested you yet?” She giggled. “That shirt is such a crime on my eyes and I love it.”

“Isabela dear, I _am_ the fashion police. But if you like it so much I can text you where I got it. I think they even have some in their maternity section. Or, if you want to wait, they have some fantastic crop tops. In all colors, too.”

He flashed her a smarmy grin and she dissolved into a fit of cackling.

Fenris smirked. “There’s lots more questions here, at least twenty more. Should we stop or go through a few more before we part ways for the day?”

“Oh, a few more can’t hurt,” Merrill insisted. “It wouldn’t be fair to Zevran and Athros! They just got here!”

“Alright, alright,” Fenris relented, waving her off. He scanned the list again.

“Babywearing or stroller… I assume that’s for when we take them out places.”

“You would look fantastic with one of those baby harnesses,” Athros said to Zevran sweetly. Zevran chuckled. “Hmm, absolutely. I could rock that look, I think. But maybe we should still keep the stroller, just in case. Babies grow up and get heavy eventually.”

Athros nodded, though perhaps a little crestfallen at his words.

“Don’t talk about that before she’s even born, Zev! You’ll make me cry…”

“Sorry, _mi amor_.” Zevran leaned over and pressed a kiss to Athros’ temple. “I shall refrain from mentioning it as long as I remember to.”

Fenris’ heart warmed at the cute picture they made, and he glanced at Anders. “I think a double stroller would be a must for us, wouldn’t it?” Anders nodded. “Yeah. Those harnesses might chafe a bit while we’re still nursing.”

“Right. So… holding them or letting them cry?”

“Mother’s policy was apparently to hold me for the first six months, then slowly wean me off until I was about a year or so. After about five months, babies should start learning how to self soothe themselves, so that’s about the time parents should start training themselves and their babies to adhere to a less erratic sleep schedule. That’s not to say babies still don’t need to be fed at night until around 9 months old, though it might vary on a case by case basis.”

“You know,” Isabela mused, “I think I recognize that advice. You’ve been doing some reading, haven’t you?” Anders nodded, cheeks flushing slightly. “Yeah. Some of them are really informative. Say, you’ve actually been reading your books?”

Isabela chuckled. “Don’t sound so surprised. But really, I was feeling kind of insecure about myself and my ability to keep my own child alive and I told one of the counselors about it. They recommended doing a bit of reading to see if being better informed about things would help my mood, and lo and behold, it did, so… yeah. No joke, honestly, these classes are like the best thing I could be doing right now.”

“Other than going home and having sex, that is,” Merrill added as though she were talking about the weather. Zevran snorted. “You, dear Merrill, are a delightful person to be friends with. We must get together and play Cards Against Humanity sometime.”

“I wouldn’t,” Anders warned. “She’s really good. Especially when you add in the red deck.”

“That sounds like a challenge, my friend.”

“I don’t do as well at Wicked Grace, though,” Merrill lamented. “My playing face is _terrible_.”

“That’s alright, Kitten,” Isabela assured her. “Your transparency is just one of the things I love about you.”

“Aw, thanks ‘Bela.”

Fenris read down the list again. “Daycare will be a must in the future unless Brigitta doesn’t mind all but moving back in when we go back to work.” Anders nodded. “It’s something we’ll have to work out with them, but even if she can’t, we can afford to find a decent place.”

“A lot of the rest of the questions are more personal, things like circumcision, what to do with the placenta… oh, here’s one we should discuss at a later session; all natural birth or ‘give me drugs the moment I ask for them?’” He glanced at Anders. “Honestly, I wouldn’t know.”

“Get the drugs,” Anders advised. “Believe me, many of the second time mothers I’ve spoken to who didn’t have drugs the first time often tell me they regret not taking them. But, you know, it’s still ultimately your choice.”

“I am absolutely getting them,” Isabela grumbled. She sighed, rubbing at her belly. “Well, this was nice, but I think I’m ready for an afternoon nap, how about you, Kitten?”

Merrill nodded, yawning. “Yeah, a nap sounds good. I guess we’re heading off, then. See you all next week!”

They all waved the women off before Zevran turned to Athros and said, “Would you like to head home as well or shall we spend a little more time at the pier?”

“I saw someone selling deep fried pickles dipped in chocolate,” Athros replied reluctantly, in a very quiet voice. “It sounds revolting, I know, but I kind of want to try one.” Zevran chuckled. “Even after all that ice cream?” He gestured to the empty container his waffle bowl had been in. Athros nodded, a flush creeping up to his ears. “Yeah. I’m craving it something awful now.”

“Well, what my darlings want, they get. We should go find them before the beach crowds come back and start swarming them. Don’t want to have you on your feet too long waiting in line for one.”

“Two. I want two.”

“And two you shall have,” Zevran insisted gently, kissing Athros’ cheek. He got up, helped Athros out of his chair, and then winked at Anders and Fenris. “Have a wonderful afternoon, you two. I have a couple of deep fried, chocolate covered pickles to find.”

They left, and Fenris turned to Anders to find him consuming the rest of his meatball sub.

“You don’t happen to want one of those, do you?” he asked, almost afraid of the answer.

“Maker, no. Honestly though, I kind of want pineapple chicken pizza for dinner.”

“I’ve been craving anchovies on mine.”

“Now you feel my pain. Our children are little menaces and they’re not even born yet.”

“I still adore them in spite of that, though,” Fenris confessed, to which Anders nodded, smiling. “Yeah, me too. But I guess we should get home so we can discuss these questions a little more.” Fenris moved to stand out of his chair, eventually wriggling out in time to help Anders up from his. He took another look at Anders with his round belly wearing a stunningly beautiful sundress that brought out the amber flecks in his eyes and highlights in his auburn-blond hair…

He picked up his phone and snapped a picture before Anders could ask him why he was staring, and he held it out for Anders to see.

“I wanted to save it for later,” Fenris told him, pocketing the phone. “You look so beautiful like this.” Anders blushed, a real bright red this time that made Fenris’ heart soar. “I mean it though, you’re always stunning.”

“Just as you are always striking,” Anders countered as they walked back to their car.

“Now you’re just trying to butter me up.”

“Hmm. We haven’t done that in awhile…”

“Anders, don’t give me ideas.”

“It doesn’t have to be sexual, Fen,” Anders teased. “We could just, massage each other’s bellies with the cocoa butter cream I’ve got. But, if that leads to anything else, well… I certainly wouldn’t complain.”

“Our children are menaces because of you, you know.”

“You love it though.”

“I do. Now, if you’re good and you can tone down the petulance until we get home, maybe I’ll consider edging you until you cum your brains out.”

“Maker, I love it when you get dominant. Alright, I’ll be good, I promise.”

And he was _very_ good indeed.

* * *

 

Around the fifteenth of Cloudreach, Anders and Fenris shuffled into the car and headed to the the hospital for their bi-weekly checkup.

Fenris sat in the chair off to the side while Anders lay back on the table, hands cradling his belly. The baby was being very active today, and Anders was getting to the point where it was less cute and more exhausting. His heart was still full of love for his little girl, though sometimes he wished she would quit it with the kicks to the bladder.

“You alright?” He heard Fenris ask. Anders glanced over and nodded.

“I’m fine. I’m just suddenly very glad we went to the bathroom before we left.” Fenris grunted. “Hmm, same. Your son seems to think my lungs are his punching bags.”

Anders chuckled softly as he heard the quiet click of the door behind him and he sat up to see who it was.

An older woman entered; her face softened by wrinkles and laugh lines and crow’s feet at the edge of her eyes. Anders grinned, knee bouncing excitedly against the side of the examination table. “Wynne!” he exclaimed, “So Justice did manage to get you on the project after all!”

Wynne smiled at him, her ever bright blue eyes twinkling.

“Of course he did. You did a remarkable job leading the charge, but he thought that with you on leave he needed someone with a bit more experience than, ah… Stitches, to help wrap things up. This is still a trial after all, and we need it to do well on paper if we want this to be readily available to the public.” She chuckled, closing the door behind her and pausing a moment to smooth down her white coat.

“You know, that man’s last name is _actually_ Stitches. I thought Justice was joking until I saw it on paper.”

Anders shrugged. “Yeah, it is. He’s a decent doctor, but I’m glad you’re here. So…” he trailed, glancing at Fenris, “I suppose then you’re our primary practitioner?”

She nodded, folding a clipboard under one arm. “Yes, I am. And I suppose I am glad to finally meet you, Fenris. It seems such a shame we have not had a proper meeting until now.” Fenris inclined his head to her. “I agree. Now, I would get up, but I think I’d like to remain here until it’s my turn on the table,” he told her, chuckling. “All that extra weight, you see. It’s very tiring, sometimes.”

“And yet other times I feel like I have all the energy in the world,” Anders added, “though it’s mostly accompanied by the desire to clean things.”

“That would be the nesting settling in. I do hope you haven’t been overdoing it,” Wynne warned him gently. Anders ducked his head. “I have been doing my best not to, I promise.”

She grinned and shook her head at him. “I’m just doing my job, dear. Making sure you know the risks about what to do and what not to do. Now, roll up that shirt and lie back so we can get a good look at you, hmm?”

Anders did as he was told and lay back, pulling his shirt up and over his belly. Fenris scooted his chair over so that he could see what was going on, and so that Anders could hold his hand as Wynne applied the gel and turned on the machine, pressing the wand into it and spreading it gently. They watched as a familiar blurry image came on-screen, and, as though she knew she was being watched, their little girl gave a good swift kick to his right rib.

The movement was captured on the screen, earning a slight laugh from Wynne while Anders winced, groaning quietly.

“She’s a feisty one, isn’t she?”

“Mmm, yes,” Anders agreed. “Not even born yet and already she’s quite the handful.”

“She looks to be in good health,” Wynne told them absently as she checked all the angles she could. “And let’s check on that heartbeat…” Wynne reached for one of the vials, turning it slowly until they could hear the rapid _woosh-woosh-woosh-woosh_ of the baby’s heartbeat. Wynne nodded in approval. “Heart rate is nice and strong, too. Very good.”

Wynne did a few more passes with the wand, eventually coming to the conclusion that the baby was not breech, and that overall there didn’t seem to be anything wrong that she could see.

“We will still do blood tests to check for the usual dangers. We’ll also need to swab you to test for group B strep and other potential things, all very routine.” At this point she’d already wiped him down and let him lower his shirt as he sat up to focus on her questions. “Yes, of course. And I haven’t noticed anything out of the ordinary since the hot-flashes stopped cropping up about a month ago. Mostly I’ve just been getting a bit of back pain and some, ah, gas here and there. But that’s probably because I just need to cut back on getting meatball subs every time Fenris and I go out for lunch with our friends after our pregnancy counseling classes.”

Wynne shot him a knowing smirk.

“Probably, yes. We’ll need to do the blood work and swabbing next week instead of two weeks from now, just in case your little ones decide they want to come early. Babies work on their own schedule when it comes to that, after all.” Anders nodded as he hopped off the table and helped Fenris onto it while Wynne was cleaning the wand for his examination.

“Alright, Fenris. Shirt up! Let’s have a look at your little boy, hmm?”

Fenris’ examination went as smoothly as Anders’ though there was no showing off from this one. “I promise you though, he was plenty active this morning when I was perfectly happy trying to sleep in,” Fenris groused. Wynne chuckled as she cleaned him off. “They’ll do that too, when they’re out and about. Relish those mornings while you can still get them.”

“I think that would’ve been nice to know about 8 months ago,” he snarked, and that earned him an outright snort from Wynne.

“I see now why you two married in the first place,” she teased, glancing at Anders. “His humor compliments your sass very well.” Anders grinned. “Among other things, anyway. I’m glad to have him. Every day is a gift.” He flashed a grin at Fenris, whose eyes softened when they caught his.

“Well, just remember that when I met you, you answered your door in nothing but a cat print t-shirt and heart boxers.” Fenris said seriously with all the tenderness he usually reserved for late night ‘I love yous’ after a wild round of sex.

Wynne just sighed deeply, shaking her head.

“Alright, you two. Other people have to use that table later, so up you get.” Anders grinned as he helped Fenris down and the two of them stood together, briefly going over a few more discussions with Wynne about birth plans and potential counseling if they needed it and so on.

“Looks like that’s everything,” Wynne said eventually, glancing down her notes. “Your babies are in excellent health and, unless you’re hiding anything from me, so are you. Just keep taking your vitamins, eating well, exercising but not overdoing it… you know.”

Anders and Fenris both nodded as the three of them exited the room and walked past Lirene, who waved at them. Anders waved back.

“Of course,” Anders answered. “And we’ll be back next week to do those tests.”

“I’ll see you then, you two,” Wynne told them, her smile wide and welcoming. “And don’t be a stranger. I have missed discussing the latest medical journals with you, dear.”

Anders could feel the flush creeping up his cheeks as he nodded. “Of course. I’ll try to give you a call sometime.”

“There’s no pressure, of course,” Wynne insisted. “I know you must be busy, preparing for the arrival of these little ones.” Fenris nodded. “We are indeed. But I too would like to speak with you again, perhaps in a less, ah… clinical setting?”

Wynne snorted softly again. “Yes, yes. Alright, go on home now, I’ve got more patients to see. But drive safely now!”

“We will, we promise,” Fenris called back as they left, heading for the elevators.

* * *

 

Later that evening, Anders was digging in his bag for his phone, having to really root around to find it since apparently it had somehow managed to make it all the way to the bottom in the span of a minute. Even a small purse like this was still a black hole when it wanted to be, he realized, finally finding it and sliding back the button on the screen underneath his mother’s picture.

“Hi Mom,” he greeted cheerily. “How are you and Da? Are you calling about the company move, or…?”

His mother laughed on the other end of the line.

“Hello to you too, dear. Your father and I are just fine, and no, I wasn’t really calling about that, but I do have news if you want to hear it. Actually I was just calling to see how you were. I saw that photo Fenris posted of you in the green dress – you looked stunning in that one though, sweetheart – but it got me thinking of how uncomfortable things must be getting now that you and Fenris are only a few short weeks from delivering.”

Anders smiled and sighed contentedly, settling into one of the rocking chairs in the nursery. Fenris was having a nap in their bedroom and Anders hadn’t wanted to disturb him, so he’d come in the nursery to do some reading before his mother had called.

“I’m fine, all things considered. I do sometimes feel as large as I am, but then the baby shifts and I just marvel at the wonder of it and things are easier to bear. At least until I have to pee at 4 AM and when I’m trying to go back to sleep she decides it’s playtime in there.”

Brigitta hummed in agreement. “I remember that time very well. At some point you’ll be longing for it to be over and you won’t want it to end all at once.”

Anders nodded even though he knew she couldn’t see it.

“That’s true. But we just had a check up today and we all got a clean bill of health, the both of us and the babies. Still, you said that you had news about the move?”

“Mmm, yes. It looks like there’s some red tape that’s holding things behind schedule a bit, though I promise you we’ll still be moving out there. We just might be cutting things a bit close when it comes to being there before your due dates.”

“Noted. I’ll let Fenris know.”

“Oh? And where is he this evening?”

Anders chuffed. “Sleeping. He decided he needed to go down for a nap and I didn’t want to disturb him until it’s at least time for dinner. Hmm. I should go start that, actually.”

Brigitta laughed, the sound as bright and clear as a bell.

“Well, I’ll let you go do that, then. What’s on the menu for tonight, hmm?”

“Oh. I was thinking quesadillas with rice and beans. Simple, but filling.”

“That sounds good,” Brigitta said, humming softly and audibly licking her lips. “I suppose I’ll let you go then. Just thought I’d check in on you since I was thinking about you. After I saw that picture. You and Fenris both look lovely in maternity evening wear too. That dress you wore to your friend’s wedding was nice too.”

“I’m glad you liked it, Mom. Say hi to Da for me.”

“I will. Love you dear.”

“Love you too. I hope to see you soon!”

Brigitta blew a kiss over the phone and hung up on him shortly afterward, but the unexpected call warmed his heart in a way he hadn’t known he needed. His mother’s voice had always been a grounding force for him as a child, and he supposed he shouldn’t be surprised it could lift his mood as an adult.

He glanced down at the swell of his belly and then up and around the room he sat in. Decorations and toys were all in place, with a small bookshelf and a table for toys with tiny chairs for the tiny beings they were about to bring into the world. He looked up at the bunk beds they’d left near the cribs, the sheets and bedding having been changed during the remodel that had gone on shortly after their baby shower.

Anders felt tears form in his eyes and his arms tightened around his belly for a moment.

He both looked forward to and dreaded the day he was going to give birth.

A soft, plaintive meow brought his attention back to the present as Ser Pounce came slinking into the room, making his way to where Anders sat. He paused at his feet, considering the girth of his belly before jumping up onto the small table next to him and settling there, licking at Anders’ hand when he reached over to pet the cat.

“You always know when I’m feeling down, huh?” he told the cat, who blinked at him slowly. “Well, I’m glad you know me so well. I feel better knowing you’ll get to meet them too. I hope you like them.”

“Like who?”

Anders’ attention snapped to the nursery door where a sleepy-looking Fenris stood. The elf trudged towards the other rocking chair and sunk into it with a contented sigh. Anders chuckled.

“The babies. I hope Pounce likes them. New things like babies are a big adjustment for cats.”

“I think he’ll be fine. But that doesn’t seem to be what’s worrying you, is it?”

Anders laughed softly. “No, not really. Mother called to check in on us, and to let me know they’ll be a little delayed in moving over, but they’ll hopefully be here in time before the babies are born. She mentioned though that there would be a point where we’d be longing for this to be over while not wanting it to end.”

“And you seem to be there right now.”

Anders hummed in agreement. “Yeah. Do you feel like that sometimes?”

“I do. But then I remember that once this part is over, then we’ll have two little lives to raise together, and that is an adventure in and of itself.” Fenris reached over and took one of Anders’ hands, his thumb rubbing at the skin on the back. “All good things come to an end, Anders. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t an even better good things waiting for us afterwards.”

Fenris leaned over and pressed a kiss to Anders’ cheek, and suddenly he felt a lot better.

“Thank you, Fenris. Every day with you truly is a gift, you know. I wasn’t lying earlier today. You always know the right things to say when I’m feeling down.”

Fenris offered him a shy smile. “I’m just talking out of my ass, most times, to be honest.”

“It’s a very prolific ass, then, because that really did help, thanks. Also very attractive and highly addicting.”

Fenris snorted. “What did I say about buttering me up?”

“I’m not, honest! Though, speaking of that I should go and start dinner. Would you like to come and help? You’ve been getting really good at being my assistant.”

He leaned over and pressed his forehead to Fenris’. Meanwhile, Ser Pounce meowed again, since apparently they weren’t paying him enough attention. Fenris smiled, and Anders smiled back. “I suppose I could handle that, sure,” Fenris agreed. “But let’s feed Pounce first so that he doesn’t hang around trying to get on the countertop and get fur all over everything.”

“Ah, yeah. That–that’s a good idea,” Anders chuffed, snickering.

They headed to the kitchen, fed Ser Pounce, and together they put together a wonderful meal and had a wonderful evening in together. And, if perhaps their touches lingered for a few moments longer than they usually did, neither made a note of it.

Each of those moments was a gift meant to be treasured, and both of them knew better than to waste the opportunities they were given. They went to bed, curled around their respective body pillows, hands clutched tight in the space between them. Together they soothed each other and their babies by singing old, half remembered lullabies from their childhoods before tumbling into the sweet embrace of sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zevran could absolutely rock booty short jeans and a Hawaiian print button up shirt and you know it. That man is flawless. :P


	10. Bloomingtide (9th Month)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyy, so I've been in something of a really depressive state since I learned yesterday that my latest hopeful job didn't work out, but I managed to finish this for you guys. I'm almost done! Just the epilogue left.
> 
> Oh, so this one has some more smut (warnings for pregnant sex have been in the tags for ages, but this is a reminder in case you hadn't noticed them, also some light D/S that somehow snuck itself in there IDK how THAT happened, but it did) and the birth, of course. Also some screenshots from my Sims playthrough, incase you forgot what spawned this whole thing, lol. Enjoy! :D

Summerday dawned bright and early, that first day of Bloomingtide.

Fenris woke first to the sudden need to get up and empty his bladder, which he tried to do with as much quiet and grace as he could muster, now being in his ninth month of pregnancy. Anders was still asleep, and sleep was a fleeting thing these days, even now. 

He trudged into the bathroom and closed the door behind him (because the floor was tiled and sometimes things echoed), lifting the lid and sitting down (because no way was he even going to  _ attempt _ being accurate at this size, even if he held himself steady). He rifled through the magazines that Anders had subscribed them to, pleasantly surprised to find a true crime serial among them.

He settled in and waited, knowing he might be there for awhile at this time of the morning, rifling through the magazine at a leisurely pace. One he felt finished, he cleaned up, washed up, and returned to bed to slip next to his body pillow and the still sleeping Anders. Fenris sighed, deeply and contentedly as he watched his husband sleep, though he knew that within the next thirty minutes or so the sun would rise and catch the light at just the right angle and–

Anders groaned, briefly attempting to roll over before reconsidering, then throwing an arm over his eyes. “Maker. Morning already? Why don’t we have blinds for these windows?”

“We do,” Fenris murmured, his laughter a soft rumble in his chest. “And curtains too. But sometimes the sun just finds its way in. It’s friendly like that.”

Anders grumbled quietly, half to himself. “I wish it wouldn’t.”

“Well, you’re up now, so about we get up, get dressed, and go out for breakfast today? There’s bound to be a couple fantastic things to eat out on the pier since the Summerday celebrations are probably in full swing by now.”

“Ooh,” Anders hummed, propping himself up on one arm, eyes wide in sudden excitement. “I know where there’s this great little place to get different flavored crepes with a variety of fruits and toppings… it’s right next to this little truck run by this Antivan/Rivani couple that make  _ the best _ breakfast taquitos. Well, next to my mother’s anyway.”

Of course, step one: get the husband excited about food.

“Well if we’re going to get some in time to catch the Summerday performance at the beach at noon, we should hurry.”

Anders leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to the tip of Fenris’ nose, pulling back and grinning like a madman. “Alright then, let’s go!” Anders tumbled out of bed with more grace than Fenris had managed earlier, dislodging Ser Pounce-a-lot at the end of the bed.

“Sorry Pounce!” Anders said by way of apology to the cat, stroking the cat’s head as he settled back down in the messy nest of blankets. Fenris chuckled, watching Anders rifle through his things, pulling out a bright yellow maternity dress he’d picked up and slipping it on. “Ah, this one’s good,” he muttered, carefully kneeling down and pulling on some matching briefs. Fenris walked over, sock feet dragging on the carpet as he came to look through Anders’ things.

“Oh, you want to borrow one of my dresses today?” Anders asked brightly. Fenris considered it, rubbing at the tight, exposed skin of his belly. He reached in and pulled out a long, floral patterned dress that would’ve gone to just below Anders’ knees, but might go to his calves instead. “I like this one,” he said, showing it to Anders.

“You would look good in that, yes,” Anders agreed. “There’s a jean jacket that goes with it, because it’s sort of only held up with a couple cotton straps and a wish, so let me go get that for you… and some comfy sandals to match. Here’s go ahead and put that on, but don’t be scared of that neckline, it doesn’t plunge half as deep as you think it does.” 

Anders scampered off to the closet to look for the jacket and sandals while Fenris slipped on the dress, which was indeed only held up with two thin straps over the shoulders. The neckline plunged only to about a third of the way down his pectorals, which wasn’t that bad, really. He also followed Anders’ lead and slipped on a pair of black briefs, turning back around when Anders came up and slipped the jean jacket on him.

Fenris sighed comfortably as the light material covered up his shoulders, and could at least button up over his chest if he wanted to.

“You look  _ adorable _ in that,” Anders cooed. “We will have to have someone take our picture for Mother so she can coo over it on Instagram.” 

Fenris snorted as he put on the comfy sandals that Anders had also handed them, picking up his keys and his wallet, not surprised to find that Anders had made alterations to this one so that it had pockets for them.

“Indeed,” Fenris agreed. “Now would you like to drive, or shall I?”

“Actually, I think I’ll drive today,” Anders answered cheerily. “You’ve been doing a lot of the driving lately, so you take it easy.” Fenris made a hum of acknowledgement. “Alright. Just… if you start to feel anything odd, anything at all–” Anders nodded, waving him off and pressing a kiss to one cheek. “I’ll let you know, I promise. We’ve got a plan for that, remember? Car’s already packed and ready just in case one of them wants to come early. We’ll be fine.”

Thankfully, neither of the babies decided to show up that day.

Instead, the couple was able to go out to the pier, purchase a couple of crepes and breakfast taquitos and found a table with a nice view of the beach where a Summerday pole was set up and people were dancing to the music blasting from the large DJ setup that was only a little further down the sand. 

It was around noon or so when they were walking back to their car to head home that they heard bells softly ringing in the distance. Fenris glanced at Anders, who had paused to listen in the direction of the sound, expression pensieve. 

“Chantry bells?” Fenris asked. Anders nodded. “There’s probably a ceremony going on,” he muttered distractedly. Fenris cocked his head. “I suppose that’s another conversation we should have before the babies are born?” Anders nodded. “My feelings about it are… complicated, but I don’t think that we should just outright… ban it from their lives. The faith of my childhood was… a pleasant one. It wasn’t until later it became… what it is.”

“Well, one more thing to be discussed later then,” Fenris said softly, linking arm in arm with Anders. “Whenever you’re ready, alright?”

Anders smiled, leaning over to nuzzle at Fenris’ hair. “Alright. Let’s go home and have a cuddle in the den? Watch some more of  _ My Cat from Hell _ , perhaps?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Fenris agreed, purring softly.

* * *

 

Two weeks later, after having that discussion (and ultimately deciding to ask Sebastian if he could help them find one of the nearby, smaller Chantries that might suit them best), Fenris found Anders in the kitchen, cataloguing their freezer meals.

He rapped on the frame of the kitchen door to get Anders’ attention, the man glancing behind him and tugging his new favorite hoodie over his large belly.

“Hey, Fen,” Anders greeted him. “It looks to me like we’re well on our way to stocking up for our post-baby meals. Mother will probably be able to help us cook things once they’ve moved and settled, but for now, this will do.”

Anders closed the freezer and sighed softly, leaning back against the counter and wrapping his arms as far around his belly as he could. 

“They’re cutting it awfully close, aren’t they?” Fenris asked, walking over and leaning on the counter next to him, pressing his head against Anders’ shoulder. Anders move a hand behind him and reached up to stroke Fenris’ hair. “Well, they’ve been delayed by a lot of things, but they do have a confirmed flight date for a little over two weeks from today.”

“Two weeks. We’ll be due by then. Might’ve even delivered.”

“I have a feeling we might be a little late, actually,” Anders insisted, “but in the event we aren’t, we have plenty to fend for ourselves for a little while. We’ll be fine, dear.”

Fenris huffed, frustrated. “But… I was hoping they’d be there.”

“Ah, for the birth?”

“Yeah.”

The two were quiet for a while until Anders ruffled Fenris’ hair again, eventually removing it so that he could pull the elf into a quick side hug.

“Honestly, I’m not too keen on having either of them watch me while I’m in labor, but if you want them there, I can let my mother know you’re hoping to see them? Best I can do, I’m afraid.” He shrugged after he pulled away, and Fenris nodded. “I understand. It’s just… if we go into labor on the same day…”

“We already planned for that with Wynne, remember? We’ve got one of the special rooms for us. I’ll be there for you, even if I’m in labor too. It’s going to be alright, love.” Anders reached out and took Fenris’ hands in his. “You won’t be alone, dear. But it’s natural to be scared. Every morning I wake up and wonder if today will be the day, and when we go to bed I wonder if I’ll wake up in the middle of the night with blood or water staining the sheets.”

Anders paused, sighing softly. “Even though I know that our pregnancies have been fairly normal and healthy sometimes my mind thinks about the what ifs and fixates on them. But it’s okay.” He tilted his head, raising one golden eyebrow. “Do you want to talk to Wynne this week about postpartum counseling? I know I’m probably going to need some.”

Fenris shook his head. “No, no, I think I’ll be ok. I just…” he laughed softly, offering Anders a small smile. “I didn’t know you were afraid as well. It helps a little, knowing that.”

“Oh, darling,” Anders cooed, still clutching at Fenris’ hands, “tell me next time, okay?”

“I will, promise.”

“Good. So, while we’re here, would you like to help me make some more nursing snacks?”

“I would, yes.”

* * *

 

“We should be landing sometime in the early afternoon tomorrow and we’ll take a rental straight to you if we can,” Hans told Anders two weeks later, over the phone. Anders nodded, catching himself again when he realized his father couldn’t see him. He shifted on the den couch until he was sitting cross legged, his belly huge and full in his lap.

“Just don’t try to hurry too quickly or these babies might get the idea to hurry up themselves,” Anders joked. Hans chuckled. “You must be a couple days overdue now. Both of you still cookin’ then?” 

“Yeah. I’ve been making spicy dishes every night since our due dates came and went. Sometimes we take turns on Fenris’ jog machine…”

“Have you tried sex, son?”

Anders groaned. “ _ Dad _ .”

Hans gave a hearty laugh as Anders could hear his mother shouting something in the background. “Well, have you? Also, your mother and I recommend it. It’s how we managed to get your lazy butt up and moving. You were a late baby too.”

Anders sighed, rolling his eyes as beside him, Fenris snickered, his keen elven ears probably having picked up most of the conversation. “I mean, we haven’t… yet,” Anders admitted. “I’m, uh, not saying we’re going to try that. Tonight. Not at all. But I am getting awful tired of being pregnant now.”

“Me too!” Fenris agreed loudly, and Hans laughed.

“Well, one way or another, we’ll see you kids tomorrow. You be safe now, and do let us know if anything changes.”

“Like if you need to take the rental to the hospital instead of our house?” Anders added, grinning. “Something like that, yeah,” Hans replied, and Anders could practically hear the grin on his face. “I’ll do my best to keep you posted. Well I guess I’ll let you go now. You and Mother probably still have a bit of packing left to do, I’m sure.” 

“Of course, of course. Alright then. Love you, son. See you both tomorrow.”

“Love you too, Da. See you tomorrow.”

Anders pulled the phone away and turned it off as his father hung up and he sighed, leaning back into the couch. He turned his head to look at Fenris, who had turned to look at him instead of the movie they had on.

“So… your father suggested we have sex to see if we can jumpstart labor, huh?”

Anders huffed, shaking his head and smiling. “Of course he did. That’s my father for you.”

There was a very pregnant pause until Fenris continued with, “Well? It’s one thing we haven’t tried. Might take some doing, but I think I wouldn’t mind getting on all fours and just letting you rail me. With lube, of course. We’re not animals.”

“Maker, Fenris. Do you have any idea what that idea is doing to me?”

“Now, usually I’d say ‘Yes, by the look of your cock I have every idea of what that is doing to you’ but since I can’t see it right now I’m gonna have to take a leap of faith and just assume you’re hard from that idea alone.”

Anders snorted. “You’d be right, though.”

“Of course I am,” Fenris snarked, smirking. “But if we try that now we’ll want to sleep forever and dinner won’t get made.” Anders chuckled, turning back to the movie and sidled closer into Fenris’ side. “That’s true,” he agreed. “Alright, we’ll finish the movie, go make dinner, enjoy what might be our last meal as just the two of us, then go have amazing, mind-blowing sex.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Anders tuned out the movie here and there, not really paying much attention to it since it was more of a Fenris kind of movie with vampires and werewolves and some kind of convoluted plot to create some hybrid child between the two. 

He was brought back to the present when the credits started rolling and Fenris poked him from his half dozing state. “Hey sleepyhead. Let’s go make dinner. Something spicy again?”

“Oh, yeah. Right. I’ve got plans. How spicy can you take?”

“Pretty spicy. You forget where I grew up.”

Anders nodded, taking his time getting up as Fenris removed the movie disk from the player and put it back in its case. “I was thinking chili. With ghost pepper flakes.”

Anders watched Fenris lick his lips. 

“That sounds  _ amazing _ . Do we still have any Fritos left? Or any rice from last night?”

“Ohh,” Anders hummed, finally realizing what Fenris was getting at. “You want Frito Pie with ghost pepper chili? Beans or no beans?”

“It’s chili, Anders. You  _ always _ go full beans.”

Anders laughed as he walked out of the den and headed to the kitchen, and he started putting all of the ingredients together for a good, spicy chili. There was still leftover white rice as Fenris had recalled correctly, so they didn’t need to spend forever waiting for that to cook. Eventually Fenris came waddling in to help out, and within about half an hour they had enough chili and beans for a feast. 

They put in the leftover rice, then some cheese and Fritos on top, and there was a good meal. Anders poured each of them some milk (in wine glasses, because he was feeling cheeky and it got a laugh out of Fenris as he did so), setting them down on the small table in the kitchen they usually used for breakfast. 

Anders lit some candles, dimmed the kitchen lights, and the pair of them had a quiet dinner together, glancing up at one another every once in awhile, their gazes lingering and filled with desire. Even as large as he was, Anders hadn’t once felt undesirable under Fenris’ gaze during their entire experience together. His desire for Fenris hadn’t ever lessened either. He wondered if Fenris would keep some of the baby weight, like the soft handles that his hips had become, so soft and squishy and perfect little handfuls for gripping.

“Anders? You’ve been staring for awhile.”

Anders started, blinking back into reality. He glanced at his bowl, noting that he’d finished his food, and thanks to the milk his mouth was only mostly on fire. It was a wonder how he hadn’t noticed that before.

Fenris chuckled.

“You want to head to bed early, dear? You look done in.”

Anders’ eyes narrowed, and Fenris straightened up immediately. 

“We’ll see who’s done in by the time I’m done with you. I want you to go to the bedroom, strip, and then sit in the middle of the bed for me. You can touch anywhere you like except your cock, or finger yourself. I’m going to clean up and join you when I’m ready. Understood?”

Fenris nodded, his irises already blown wide with arousal. “Yes, dear,” he said immediately.

“And don’t hurry back! I want to watch you as you leave.”

Fenris slowed his movements instantly, and Anders’ eyes didn’t leave the sway of his ass or the way his large belly jiggled a bit as he got up and waddled away. Anders stroked his own belly, noting how low his and Fenris’ bellies had dropped since last week. Maybe a good round of sex was what they needed after all.

Once Fenris had left his sight, Anders got up, blew out the candles, and took his time heading over to turn the electric lights back up. He cleaned out their bowls, hand washed the previously milk filled wine glasses, and put the rest of the chili into containers that he stuffed in the fridge.

Eventually, when he was satisfied that he’d cleaned up enough (and that he’d taken enough time doing it), he turned off the lights and headed toward the bedroom, only stopping once more to pet Ser Pounce-a-lot where he dozed on top of one of his cat trees before moving on. Upon arriving, he was greeted to the sight of Fenris, his wonderful beautiful Fenris, all muscled curves and white tattoos contrasting against dusky brown skin…

His hands were toying with his nipples as his hips twitched and he whined softly at Anders’ entrance. Anders chuckled, quickly ditching his clothes before rummaging in his collection of t-shirts, pre pregnancy. He held one up for Fenris to see, and it was the familiar cat print t-shirt he’d often worn to bed. The one that had been tight on him even before his pregnancy.

“Would you like me to wear this?” he asked, voice pitched low and breathless. Fenris nodded, breathing quiet and ragged.

“Yes dear,” Fenris rumbled in reply, “I want to see it struggle to contain your chest as it tries and fails to reach your belly.” Anders grinned as he moved to put it on, carefully testing the give before slipping it over his chest. Gingerly he pressed at his swollen pectorals once he had it up and over, rolling his shoulders and taking a few deep breaths to make sure it wasn’t painful or restricting his breathing.

He turned and Fenris whined again at the sight of him, which turned Anders on even more. 

“You like what you see?” he asked stalking over to the bed, glancing down where Fenris had slyly left a bottle of lube for him on the top of the sheets, and a condom packet laying next to it. 

“I–I do,” Fenris confessed. “You look as stupidly attractive as I thought you would.” 

Fenris had briefly dropped the submissive persona to catch his eyes and grin cheekily. Anders decided to allow the lapse in play because he found it arousing as well to be wearing one of his pre pregnancy shirts and nothing else, his belly large and full and hanging low, ready to give birth any day now.

He ignored his own arousal though and caught Fenris’ gaze again once the submissive persona returned. “I’m glad you do. Now, take a moment to look your fill, because you won’t be seeing much more of it tonight. Once you’re done, get up on all fours and brace yourself. Get comfortable. I want you to feel good while I’m railing you into oblivion.”

Fenris’ breath tumbled from him in a rush as he whimpered, taking a nice long look before he turned over and did as he’d been told. His cock hung low, stiff with arousal, but not dripping with precum yet. Anders reached for the packet and was careful to tear it in the proper place, removing the condom and rolling onto Fenris so that he wouldn’t spill onto the sheets.

“Such a good boy, remembering how tired we would both be,” Anders praised. “This’ll make cleanup easier, won’t it?” 

“It will dear, yes,” Fenris answered, moaning softly as Anders stroked his cock and fondled his balls with delicate care. He grinned. “I’m going to prep you now, darling,” Anders warned him as he lubed up a couple fingers, then massaged Fenris’ ass, dry hand teasing at the tight pucker of his hole. “And please, I want you to be as loud as you like. This could be the last time you’ll be able to be loud for awhile. So don’t hold back.”

Anders inserted the first finger, taking it nice and slow and relishing the whimpering Fenris made, first into the body pillows he’d stuffed under his chest, above his hanging belly so that he could better support himself. Then he remembered what Anders had said and turned his head so Anders could hear the whimpers and moans, and Anders hummed with pleasure.

“Yes, don’t hide those pretty sounds from me, darling. I want hear you.”

He inserted a second finger, scissoring them to loosen the ring of muscle some more. It was already a little loose already (which made a part of Anders’ doctor brain take notice, but he didn’t stop to think about it just yet) but he was nothing if not thorough as he crooked his fingers against Fenris’ prostate and all but growled in delight at the sharp, pleasured cry that escaped the elf. He removed the fingers after a few more moments of scissoring, then he reapplied the lube to add a third, and a fourth. 

“How are you doing, my love?” he asked in a low voice. “You’ve been so nice and vocal for me tonight, can you tell me what you need?”

“You,” Fenris answered, almost right away. He tried to look back to catch Anders’ gaze, and what Anders caught of it set his heart fluttering with affection for how beautiful Fenris looked, aroused, hair tousled, looking quite debauched with his very pregnant belly hanging between his legs. “I need… I need you. Inside me. Please, dear.”

“As you wish, my love,” Anders cooed, slicking himself up by feel and very carefully lining himself up. He pressed forward, groaning softly as tight heat enveloped the head of his cock, and consumed it inch by agonizing inch. Every so often he would pause to check on Fenris, who nodded enthusiastically each time. 

Once he was flush with Fenris’ ass, his belly weighing heavily on the small of Fenris’ back, a calming hush fell over him that he hadn’t experienced before while topping. It took him a moment to gather his thoughts before he heard Fenris’ voice cutting through the quiet.

“Anders?”

“I’m alright,” he assured him gently, hands grasping the ample flesh at Fenris’ hips. “It’s just… out of all the times I’ve done this, this is the first time I’ve slipped into something close to subspace while topping. It’s quite the experience.”

“You good to continue?”

“Oh yes. You?”

“Please, for the love of all that is holy,  _ move _ .”

Anders chuckled. “I thought I was the one in control?”

And just like that, they were playing again. Fenris lowered his head to the pillow, sideways again so that Anders could hear him whimper and moan when Anders snapped his hips. “That’s it. Be nice and loud for me.”

Given that he wasn’t certain that, in the heat of the moment, if he slipped out he’d be able to push back again without taking his hands off Fenris’ hips, his thrusts were not as deep as he would’ve liked. Fenris seemed to pick up on this though and rocked his hips back whenever Anders pressed forward, and they quickly picked up a rhythm. 

Fenris’ cries grew louder once Anders changed angles a bit and started tapping Fenris’ prostate, and Anders’ breaths came shorter once he was nearing completion. He snapped his hips faster, gripping Fenris tightly and crying out, “Oh, oh, Fenris! Fen–Fenris, ohhh…” until Fenris came with a loud shot, “Anders!” and clamped down on him like a vice.

Anders saw stars dance across his vision for a moment, and he felt movement low on his belly.

He laughed softly and stroked the skin there, feeling the baby kick. Fenris, still on his hands and knees, grunted softly. “I can feel that.” Anders made a sound, and gently extricated himself to grab a cloth to clean himself off and Fenris, once he’d removed the condom and tossed it in the trash. By the time that was done, Fenris had already flopped onto his side of the bed and pulled up the covers, curled around his pillow and rubbing his belly.

“So,” Anders mumbled sleepily as he slipped under the cover with Fenris and turning off his light, “do you think that did it?”

Fenris grunted, already half asleep.

“I hope so. Mmm… I s’pose we’ll find out soon enough…”

And then he was gone.

Anders chuckled, kissed the elf on his nose, and cuddled close, quickly tumbling after him into sleep.

* * *

 

The next morning came and went without much incident, much to their frustration and dismay.

Closer to late morning however, Anders told Fenris he was going to take a bath in the second bathroom (since the master bathroom only had the shower at present), complaining of aches in his lower back. 

“Alright, just call for me if you’re having trouble or if you need me, okay?” Fenris asked, brushing a lock of golden hair behind one ear. Anders offered a tired smile, but nodded and went to go take his bath. Fenris went into the den to lay on the couch and read some more, but he couldn’t quite seem to get comfortable and there was an unsettled rumbling in his stomach. 

Thinking he was hungry, he opened the door to the bathroom from the hall and told Anders he was going to the kitchen to make some snacks.

“I’ll leave the doors open so I can hear you,” Fenris told him, and Anders hummed in acknowledgement, and it sounded as though the bath was helping, since Anders seemed a little more relaxed from that morning.

Fenris’ snack ended up being waffles, and he was about to sit down at one of the tables outside when his sharp elven ears picked up a sharp cry from inside. “Fenris!” Anders called, and Fenris set the waffles down next to the grill and waddled as fast as he could for the bathroom. He rounded the corner to find Anders, now fully dressed with still damp and dripping hair, hunched over and clutching at his belly.

“Anders?” he breathed out, his heart beginning to race. Was he…?

“Wait a moment,” Anders told him, standing very still as he appeared to force himself to breath slowly. For several precious minutes, they waited, Anders counting the seconds under his breath, and after almost ten minutes Anders appeared to straighten before bending forward and gasping, his breath leaving him in a rush.

Fenris tried not to panic. Keyword, tried.

“Anders, I’m–ah, I’m afraid I’ve forgotten everything we’re supposed to do now,” Fenris rambled, hands flailing and running through his hair. Anders held up a hand. “Keep calm, first of all,” Anders told him, taking great care with his breaths again. “If you could get some of those snacks we prepared, put them in the bag on the counter next to the microwave, I’ll go get my things from the bedroom, plus your keys and your phone. Ok? Early labor can either go really quickly or really slowly, so it’s best we’re as prepared as possible before we leave.”

Fenris nodded and headed to do as Anders had asked. 

Anders, meanwhile, waddled carefully to the bedroom, still counting under his breath. 

Fifteen minutes later, he’d put his things on the settee with Fenris’ keys and phone and he was bent over again, muscles tensing as he felt his belly growing tight with a wave of intense pain. He bit his lip and tried to breath through it, mostly succeeding until a whimper towards the end.

Maker, this was labor alright.

He quickly picked up his and Fenris’ things, calling out to Fenris as he picked up an umbrella on the way. “Fenris, I’m heading to the car, okay? I’ll start it, just hurry as fast as you can!”

Fenris had the things ready to go but had gone back for his waffles. He was just about to bring them back inside when a sharp tightening across his middle cause him to cry out. He clamped a hand over his mouth, listening for any reaction from Anders. Hearing nothing, he realized Anders must have already gone out to the car.

_ Maybe this one was a fake out _ , he hoped as he abandoned the waffles in favor of picking up the snacks he’d left inside and waddle bolting as fast as he could for the garage door. Finding the rain pouring down, he grimaced and snagged one of the spare umbrellas there before walking out to the car, putting the snacks in the back, and wedging himself into the driver’s seat. Anders was in the passenger seat, already buckled in and counting under his breath.

Fenris’ hands shook a little as he took the wheel, but he breathed in deeply to steady himself. 

Anders said early labor could last a while, and if something went wrong, they already and contingency plans prepared in the back of the car.

_ Not for if both of us go into labor at once _ , Fenris thought, but another deep breath pushed that to the back of his mind as he backed out and began to drive them to the hospital. He knew he probably shouldn’t be doing this (after another sharp squeezing feeling in his abdomen about twenty minutes later he realized he  _ really _ shouldn’t be doing this), but by the time a second contraction hit him they were already well on their way to the hospital and Anders was on the phone with his mother.

“Yes, I’m in labor now, contractions are still only about ten to fifteen minutes apart,” he told Brigitta, grunting softly through what Fenris guessed was another contraction. “Fenris is driving and the traffic looks good. There’s some rain, but we should still get there with plenty of time to spare.”

He paused, and Fenris could only catch some soothing mumbling on the other end of the line.

“I know, I know. The first one was a little scary but I’m… I’m doin’ alright so far.” His face was in a grimace though his voice was steady. “Also, don’t tell Dad that his suggestion worked.” Soft laughter filtered through the speakers from the other end. “Just tell him to head to the hospital instead–Fenris was hoping you’d be there for this.” Pause. “I’m gonna let you go now so I can focus on counting. Love you, see you soon.”

Anders hung up once his mother said goodbye and he leaned back in the seat, taking a breath.

“Don’t think I haven’t seen you gripping that steering wheel harder than usual,” Anders muttered. “They started just now, didn’t they?” 

Fenris sighed, afraid to relax his muscles, but he nodded. “We were already on our way,” he admitted. “So I just… I’ve been trying to keep breathing and focusing on getting us there. I know… I know I shouldn’t be–” 

“It’s alright,” Anders soothed, reaching over and rubbing at his right shoulder. “It’s alright. You’re doing so well, love.” He chuckled softly. “Just think though, we’ll be meeting our babies soon. Actually holding them.” He hissed, then began his breathing exercises. “Ah, that one was a little sharp. Maker. There really is nothing that can prepare you for this, is there?” Anders groused, panting. Fenris, in spite of his own pain, grinned at Anders’ complaining.

Thankfully there wasn’t any traffic at this hour to slow them down, and despite the rain, they made it to the hospital around half past one in the afternoon. 

Both Justice and Wynne were waiting for them after Anders had called ahead and told Justice they were on their way and that Fenris’ contractions had started too while in transit (not that he knew they’d started just before, but Fenris wasn’t about to correct him now that they were at the hospital). Fenris let himself be coaxed into a wheelchair as he clutched the bag of snacks.

They were led into a special double delivery room and the two doctors helped settle them in. It would probably be hours before active labor started, so they were given ice chips and two body temperature leveled baths to help keep their stress levels low, among other things.

“You already know about the buttons to call for a nurse,” Justice told Anders as he was helping Anders into his bath, “but I’ve left your pager on the tray next to that bed with your snacks and things.” He pointed in the general direction of the bed and Anders nodded when he spotted it. “Yeah, I see it. We’ll call for you or Wynne if we need you.”

Justice offered him a small smile. “With luck, you’ll be meeting them today.”

Anders chuckled, panting and wiping at his brow. “Yeah. It’s… exciting. And terrifying.” An answering chuckle rumbled from Justice in return. “So is parenthood, or so I hear.”

Then he left after making sure they were as comfortable as they could be for the moment, and the two of them finally had a moment to themselves, naked in their baths. Fenris sighed after a while and got out slowly, drying himself off. “I’d lay with you if I could, but I need to get up and… walk around, I guess.” 

He picked up the robe that had been left for him on the other bed, grateful it wrapped over his quivering belly. Then he slipped on the soft slippers, shuffling around while he hugged himself and breathed deeply. Anders hummed softly from his place in the bath. “No, that’s fine. Walk if you need to. Eat an ice chip every once in awhile. Hydration is important. Also, Wynne is arranging for the chair to be brought in later in case you want to use that for…” He paused, wincing. He breathed for a moment or two before releasing it to finish with, “...for birthing.”

Fenris nodded, now sitting on top of one of the beds when he tired of walking. 

Eventually Anders got out and wandered too. He sat down next to Fenris, and they talked about how the pains felt to each other. Anders called his mother again, a few hours later after his dilation had sped up considerably faster that Fenris’ and he was nearing the active labor phase. 

“They’re still half an hour out,” he cursed softly, pausing to swear in Ander. Justice, who was helping to set up the chair, gave Anders a sympathetic expression. “Well, they might be here in time for Fenris, since he’s not progressing as fast as you.” Anders grunted.

“Kind of glad for that, though,” he bit out, wincing through the pain. The drugs were definitely helping, but it was hard to concentrate on things when his body was preparing to bring a child into the world. “I was not a fan of my mother watching me give birth. I mean, it’s not like she hasn’t seen this before, me naked, I mean, but you know. You know, right?”

Wynne nodded, standing next to him as she motioned for him to lie back down on the bed. 

“Let’s check you again, alright? See if you’ve opened up a bit more.”

An hour later, and things had progressed very quickly for Anders. One second things were quiet and it was just them and Justice in the room, but suddenly Anders realized he had the need to push and he just beelined for the chair while Wynne and two nurses rushed in. Fenris, drugs pumping through his system now, pulled over one of the wall chairs and he moved close enough to hold Anders’ hand.

“It’s okay,” he soothed, stroking the sweaty skin of Anders’ hand. “I’m here. Justice and Wynne are here. Deep breaths. We’ll be able to meet her soon.” 

Wynne kneeled down in front of Anders, looking up at him. “I’m going to reach and see if I can feel the head, alright?” He nodded, gibbering. “I can feel it. You should.”

She nodded. “Alright. On the next contraction, you push, okay?” 

Anders grit his teeth, clearly feeling another one coming on. Then he took a deep breath and started to push, throwing his head back as more sweat formed on his skin. His hand spasmed around Fenris’, but Fenris just continued to soothe, smoothing back his hair and whisper encouragements while Anders labored.

“The head’s out!” Wynne informed them, still kneeling with her hand underneath to catch the baby. “The shoulders will be hard, but that’s the last hard part, alright? Anders?” Anders made a disgruntled whine from somewhere in his throat as he panted, but then he took another breath, gripped the chair and Fenris’ hand, and pushed again, this time unable to hold back as a full-throated scream escaped him.

But moments later, a sharp cry was heard as their little girl was out in the world at last. Fenris cut the cord and held Anders as Justice took Wynnes place to help Anders through the afterbirth. Once that was dealt with, and everything cleaned, Justice helped Anders to one of the beds while Fenris hovered. Wynne brought the baby to Anders to hold, and he was physically overcome with joy.

“Hello little one,” Anders cooed. “I’m so, so very glad to meet you at last.” 

Fenris was given a turn to hold her before Anders was allowed to nurse, grateful she took to his nipples almost immediately.

“So what’s her name?” Justice asked as Fenris sat down on the other bed, wincing through another contraction. 

“Andrea,” they answered together.

Anders chuckled. “It’s what Mother was going to name me if I’d been a girl. Or if I wanted to be.”

Justice smiled. “It’s a good name.” He glanced at Fenris. “You feel the need to push yet?” Fenris shook his head, then paused. “Not yet, but soon, I think. I can feel him… shifting.”

Half an hour passed, and Fenris was panting, whimpering with pain. 

The door opened, and he turned to look, expecting to see either Wynne or Justice or one of the nurses enter, but instead it was Justice  _ and _ Anders’ parents, windswept and a bit waterlogged from the downpour that was currently going on outside. He smiled, almost forgetting his pain for a moment. 

“You made it!” he cried out, just before a contraction hit and he slid back down the bed, catching Justice’s gaze. “Just… just in time,” he managed, and he moved to sit. Justice waved behind him and as he moved forward to help Fenris to the chair, Wynne and the other nurses filtered in.

Anders, who was still somehow awake though only moderately lucid, acknowledged his parents’ presence with a, “Oh good, you’re here. Could you keep Fenris company for a moment? I’m a little… tired. Also still nursing a newborn, and that would probably make holding his hand difficult.” Hans chuckled. “We got you, son. Brigitta, do you want to join me or…?”

“I don’t want to crowd him,” she said, shaking her head. “I think I’ll sit with Anders and our granddaughter while you do suport.”

Justice knelt in front of Fenris, and made eye contact.

“Next contraction?”

Fenris nodded, not trusting himself to speak.”

Amazingly, he was able to push the head and shoulders through during the next contraction, and he breathed a sweet breath of fresh air as Justice helped the infant the rest of the way, with Hans cutting the cord. Justice handed the now squalling little boy to Wynne, who brought him to the nurses and began the process of cleaning him off and taking measurements. 

They dealt with the afterbirth a few minutes later, and eventually Fenris too was swaddled in blankets on his bed, nursing his son.

“Karl,” they named him. Anders looked sad, remembering his old friend from school. “Karl helped me through a lot, and even though he was taken from this world too soon, we figured his name could live on, at least.” 

“Andrea and Karl,” Brigitta cooed. “How sweet.”

“You two make some mighty handsome grandkids,” said Hans while he sat with Anders, now holding Andrea. “This one especially’ll be breaking a lot of hearts someday,” he teased. Anders rolled his eyes. “Dad. Playing favorite already? She’s only an hour old.” Then he yawned, rubbing at his eyes and sighing tiredly.

Hans grinned. “I know, I know. It’s alright. But you’ve spent the majority of the day bringing her into the world. Take a nap and rest. Your mother and I can take it from here.”

“You too, Fenris,” Brigitta insisted, taking Karl from his arms once the infant seemed finished nursing. Fenris didn’t complain and let her take him, falling deeply asleep mere moments later.

* * *

 

A few days later, both Anders and Fenris were pronounced recovered enough to go home.

Hans and Brigitta were helping Anders and Andrea into the car Fenris had driven there in, and when they had both settled in, baby in carseat and Anders in the seat next to the carseat, Hans turned to Fenris. “I’ll take care of them and bring your car back to the house, okay? Brigitta will take you and Karl in our rental.” 

Fenris nodded. “Yes, of course. That’s good. Guess we’ll see you there.”

The rental car was in the main parking lot on the ground floor, and it was raining as he and Brigitta exited the hospital.

“Such foul weather,” Brigitta sighed, opening up an umbrella for the both of them. 

“I quite like it, actually,” Fenris told her, and Brigitta chuckled. “You know, that doesn’t surprise me.” Fenris shrugged as they walked. “It’s very soothing. Good for napping to.”

Brigitta didn’t refute his statement as they walked quickly to the rental that was thankfully not terribly far from the entrance. Eventually they were all settled in and buckled up and on their way home. Fenris spent the entire time just watching Karl sleep, only sometimes responding to Brigitta’s questions when he managed to register that she was speaking to him over his exhaustion. Brigitta didn’t seem to mind, though.

They got home, apparently not too much longer after Hans and Anders, as they walked into the nursery to find Anders trying out bottle-feeding with Andrea.

“How’s she taking that?” Fenris asked, settling Karl into his crib with some assistance from Brigitta.

“Rather well, actually,” Anders muttered, settling the bottle aside so he could put her down as well. The two paused, glanced at each other, then at their children. “Wow,” Anders breathed, so quietly even Fenris had trouble picking it up. He quirked a smile at Anders. “I know. It’s crazy, isn’t it?” Anders nodded.

They glanced behind at Hans and Brigitta, who were trying their best not to hover.

“Hey,” Anders began, “mind letting us have a bit of a snooze in here for awhile? It’s been a crazy couple of days. There’s uh… food in the kitchen. Movies in the den.” Hans chuckled. “We’ll get out of your hair for a bit. Holler if you need us, okay?”

They nodded. “We will,” Fenris assured them, and then the nursery door was partially closed, and the two of them were alone with their babies sleeping peacefully in their cribs.

“So,” Anders drawled after a while, “how about that nap?”

Fenris chuckled. “A nap sounds  _ divine _ .”

There was an answering chuckle from below as Fenris climbed up to the top bunk that wasn’t far from the cribs. “This is our life now, huh?” Fenris nodded from the top bunk, even though Anders couldn’t see. “It is, but I’m looking forward to it.”

A soft meow came from the door, and the cat slunk in. Fenris propped himself up to watch as Anders went to pick him up and show the babies to him. Thankfully, there wasn’t any unusual sort of freak out and Anders brought the cat to bed with him, turning out the lights as he did so. 

“Me too,” Anders mumbled sleepily. “Excited to–” he yawned, loudly, “–oh… see where this all leads.” Fenris hummed. “Somewhere amazing, I’m sure of it.” Fenris fell asleep to the sounds of the cat purring beneath him, their children babbling softly in their sleep, and a feeling of hope settling in his chest at the thought of their future together and all the weird and wonderful things that were now in store.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll probably be able to crank out the epilogue tomorrow if not today, so it should be coming soon! Pinky promise. ;)


	11. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mikke, I sort of borrowed Mardra for a very short cameo, but I honestly wanted to tease Justice a little and thought bringing her in would be a good way to do that after I mentioned they were dating back in Chapter 9. I hope you don't mind. :P
> 
> Anyway, enjoy! Thank you so much for sticking with me on this one. ;)

“And so, it looks like the trial’s conclusion briefings went over very well with the board of directors,” Justice finished, reaching up to adjust his tie. Anders smiled, running a hand through his hair. “Well, I’m glad I could help. I was starting to get a little stir crazy not being at work a couple months after the birth, and when you called asking if I could put together a few statements together for you, I was ecstatic.”

Justice laughed, a hearty thing full of depth and body. Justice paused, his laughter cutting off when he glanced at something beyond the computer he was using to video chat with and he almost looked panicked before another face came into view.

Mardra, Justice’s… girlfriend, Anders supposed she was. They were dating, at least.

“Oh, it’s you, Anders!” She waved at him, and a small, dark curl escaped her hair tie, falling over one ear. “I was wondering what had him laughing so hard.” She shook her head, and Anders snickered. “Did you stop by the hospital to bring Justice his lunch again, Mardra?” he teased, and she grinned at him.

“Actually, I wanted to take him out to lunch, but he said he needed to have a quick chat with someone first. I thought it was going to be a business call.”

“It _was_ a business call,” Justice grumbled, and Anders’ smile widened.

“He’s right, it was… kind of. He was thanking me for the trial conclusion reports I wrote for him that he read to the board of directors, and letting me know that they seemed to go over well. It’s good to hear, but if you two have a date, perhaps I should let you go. I do have two eight month olds to go and take care of. I only managed to escape for now because they’re down for their nap, and the grandparents are around today.” He gestured to the study he was currently hiding out in.

Mardra moved around Justice so that both of them were properly in frame.

“Oh, Justice showed me the photos you sent him! They are _adorable_. You and Fenris made some pretty adorable babies.”

Anders felt a flush creep into his cheeks. “Ah, well. Thanks?” He tittered a bit before waving her off. “Really, I should let you go. You kids be safe on your date!”

Mardra giggled while Justice just shook his head and sighed. “Alright, alright,” Justice interjected gently, “Let me say goodbye to Anders and I’ll be right along. Are we going to the same place as last time dear, or somewhere new?”

“Hmm, new, I think,” she said as she walked out of frame. “I liked the look of the menu at that new pizzeria. They’ve got some pretty fantastic salad options.”

Justice nodded and for a moment his face softened into something affectionate and adoring that Anders felt almost guilty to have glimpsed, even through a screen. It was cute though, seeing Justice so… lovestruck.

He smiled at Justice when the older man turned his attention back to the camera after Mardra’s voice had disappeared into the distance.

“You gonna pop the question, Justice?” Anders ended up asking, half serious, half teasing. “I think she really likes you. And you obviously really like her.”

Justice fidgeted with his tie a moment before huffing softly through his nose.

“We’ve actually been discussing it together, whether we want to or not. We think we want to, someday, but for now we do not feel a rush to.”

Anders nodded. “That’s not a bad way to approach it. Fenris and I did something similar after we’d been dating for a year. I’m happy for you.” He leaned on the armrest of the chair, sighing happily. “Well, really, I should go. You go have your date; thanks for keeping me apprised of the situation with the board. I appreciate it.”

“It was only right,” Justice replied, shrugging by way of an explanation. “And yes, I should go. Have a pleasant day, Anders. We’ll talk again soon.”

Justice reached over to something and his image on the screen darkened until it was replaced with the image of a stylized illustration of Lady Justice. Anders chuckled. He remembered finding Justice’s voice chat program open back when he’d still been studying his residency with Justice and uploading that image to his profile. It made something warm and fuzzy bloom in his chest every time he saw it, knowing Justice hadn’t bothered changing it in all that time.

Anders turned off his own webcam and closed the laptop, stretching back like a cat before pausing to look around. The house was still and quiet, and he wondered to himself if this was the first time he’d managed to get some time alone since the babies had been born.

He was startled out of his thoughts by a knock at the study door.

“Come in!” Anders called. “I’m done with the call now.”

The doorknob turned and the door pushed forward, revealing Fenris in a long sleeved purple cardigan and warm, black slacks. “Hey. I thought I’d come hide in here with you,” Fenris stage-whispered to him, closing the door behind him. “The babies sort of fell asleep on top of your father so your mother went to fetch her camera and told me to shoo. So here I am.”

Anders shook his head as he stood up, unable to keep the grin from his face.

“Well, it’s been awhile since we spent time together, just the two of us. What would you like to do?” He opened his arms wide, gesturing to the room. Fenris smirked.

“Please tell me you’re not trying to have sex.”

“Fenris. Please. I love sex, but I was honestly not trying to get into your pants just now. Seriously. You want to cuddle and read something? Or maybe we can just make out a little like we used to back when we first started dating? Okay, maybe I’m thinking about sex a little bit, but you were the one that got me thinking about it.”

Fenris chuckled, walking over to one of the bookshelves and running his fingers over the spines.

“I think a book sounds nice. Weren’t we reading, ah, the new installment of Hard in Hightown?”

Anders nodded, taking his spot on the study sofa. “I think so, yes. Do you want to read aloud, or shall I?” Fenris found the book, pulled it from the shelf, and handed it to Anders. “Ah, you, this time. Your voices are better than mine.”

“Pfft, nonsense. I like your voices.”

Fenris grumbled as he settled against Anders.

“I can never get the Captain right. I always end up giving him some weird masculine Aveline.”

Anders snorted. “I still think they’re fantastic.”

But with that, Anders pulled him a little closer against his chest, Fenris laid a woolen afghan blanket over their laps, and Anders began to read.

A couple hours later, the two decided to pause for the day and check in on their little ones. The two checked the master bedroom, but there wasn’t a soul inside. The nursery was empty as well, though they eventually found Brigitta and Hans in the den, holding the babies on their laps and watching one of the child development DVDs that Brigitta had bought.

“Do you need us to take over?” Anders asked quietly, catching his father’s attention.

“Nah, we’re fine. You and Fenris should go and have a nice dinner out or something. Your mother and I got this.”

An orange, furry head poked up and over the couch, meowing plaintively.

“And the cat, apparently.”

Anders snickered. “I don’t think we’ll go far, but perhaps a nice meal outside couldn’t hurt.” He turned to Fenris, tilting his head. “You think the fairy lights are enough light to see by? They’re usually fantastic mood lighting for a romantic dinner.”

Fenris chuckled, rolling his eyes. “They should be fine. But here, I want to hold them before we heat something up and go out there.” They approached the back of the couch, holding out their arms for their babies. Anders pulled Andrea in to his arms, peppering her abundance of soft blond curls with kisses, delighting in her piercing giggling. Fenris was less enthusiastic, pressing a few soft kisses to Karl’s cheek, gently thumbing at some drool by the corner of his mouth.

“You be good for your grandparents, alright?” Fenris whispered, even though he was sure they couldn’t understand him yet.

The pair reluctantly let Hans and Brigitta get the babies settled in their laps again, and they headed for the kitchen. Anders scanned the freezer for a meal before Fenris tapped his shoulder and held up the waffle mix. Anders just shook his head and sighed, closing the freezer door. “I don’t know what I expected, but… somehow I’m not surprised. You want some bacon and eggs, too?”

Fenris’ eyes lit up and Anders pulled them from the fridge.

“Breakfast for dinner it is.”

A couple minutes later, the two were seated outside in the cold, fairy lights twinkling about them as snow covered the table and the deck and, well, mostly everything. It was cold, but their food was warm and the night felt like something straight out of a magical fairytale.

When they finished their meal, Anders reached out and took Fenris’ hand. He stared into Fenris’ eyes for several long moments before letting out a long breath.

“This is our first date together since before the babies, huh?” he asked. Fenris nodded.

“Seems so.”

“I know it’s not ideal, but...  I like it.”

The pair glanced around the yard, looking at the trellis, the pool, the little waterfalls that kept the pool clean and fresh. Fenris hummed softly as he used his free hand to set their plates aside and take Anders’ other hand.

“Me too. And I rather like the life we’ve built together. Honestly, I could never have imagined having a husband. Or kids. Or indeed, biological ones. That experiment… was honestly an amazing breakthrough and I’m glad I agreed to do it with you.”

“I know it’s probably too soon to ask, but would you perhaps consider doing it again in the future? It doesn’t have to be you, but you know, if we decide we want another…”

Fenris thought for a moment, mulling it over.

“Maybe. I think we should get a bigger place for that though. Or put in a second floor.”

“We may need to do one of those things at some point anyway,” Anders pointed out. “I know kids share rooms all the time, but I think, for when they’re older… privacy is nice for some things. Like puberty.” Fenris snorted. “I suppose, yes.” Then he froze as a thought struck him.

“Please tell me you’re going to give them the sex talk. I haven’t even the faintest idea of how to do that beyond, uh… use condoms and lots of lube.”

Anders couldn’t help the cackle that escaped him.

“I suppose, sure. But let’s focus on getting them to speak and walk first.”

Fenris sighed, relieved, and his grip tightened on Anders’ hands, just a little. He leaned up and forward, gingerly capturing his lips in a soft, tender kiss. They parted, pressing their foreheads together, Anders humming softly.

“Mmm. Delicious. I love you so much, my darling Fen.”

“And I love you too, dear Anders.”

Both men seemed unwilling to move, for if they did, the moment would break. So they simply remained there for awhile until it got too cold for comfort and they collected the remains of their meal before heading inside. They washed up together, putting everything in the dishwasher for a second cleaning later.

They grasped hands and waited another moment in the dining room just outside the kitchen, at the very table where they’d first agreed to sign up for the trials.

“You know,” Anders began, pulling Fenris into a firm hug as they stood there, “I know that wasn’t the fanciest of dates, but honestly, it was one of my favorites.”

“Mine too,” Fenris agreed.

“And again, I’m glad you agreed to do this with me too. That trial, that experiment… it gave us two wonderful, two amazing, two beautiful babies that we’re gonna get to watch as they grow and learn and become their own people.” He couldn’t help the happy tears that formed in his eyes, glad to see that there were some in Fenris’ too.

“Let’s go back to them, shall we?” Fenris prompted gently. “It’s only been an hour but…”

“I know, it feels like one hour too long,” Anders finished, laughing. “Come on, let’s go.” He took Fenris’ hand again and they walked on, heading for the den where Hans and Brigitta and their babies were waiting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really glad I pushed through to finish this. I just loved throwing in little details here and there that just made the world alive while also remaining kind of light and fresh, a kind of escape from a reality where so many things go wrong, in this, everything that could've gone wrong went right, and everyone's happy in the end. 
> 
> Now I'm off to see if I can't wrap up a few other fics I've left unfinished from some old fandoms before focusing on maybe writing some Widomauk for Critical Role, but that doesn't mean I've dropped writing for these two entirely. I've still got some things on my spreadsheet I wanna write, lol. I promise, I still have a special place in my heart for Fenders and I will write them again. Until then, thank you, your comments and kudos and support from my friends in DA Weird Shit Chat and the Fenders Discord, ya'll are awesome. _Dareth shiral_ , everyone. :D
> 
> For now, anyway. ;)

**Author's Note:**

> Come to my [tumblr](http://timesorceror.tumblr.com/), I don't bite! As long as you're not tasty, anyway. ;)


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